Enamored
by Maddie-san
Summary: An unfortunate accident gave him another chance to prove his love. Will it be enough to capture her heart?
1. Sparkling Claws

A/N: That's right, Maddie is writing a Kouga/Kagome. I've wanted to for a while (as a matter of fact this was months old), but nobody wanted to beta a kouga/kagome, so it gathered dust. I'm on Christmas break, so updates should come around at a decent speed.

Enamor (_En Amour_) verb:_ to be filled with a feeling of love_

_Thank you Shadow bby__ for beta-reading this! GO KOUGA TEAM! ...Rawr?_

**Enamored**

**Chapter 1: Sparkling Claws**

_Stupid, stupid Inuyasha_.

Kagome sighed heavily, wrapping her arms tighter around Kirara to keep from shuddering as the wind picked up. She could not believe the nerve of him. He voiced out loud his love for Kikyo and picked the dead Miko over her. Now he dared to be jealous just because _Kouga_, who kidnapped her against her will mere hours ago, professed his love to her?

As if she had any say in the matter!

It infuriated her to no end that Inuyasha thought he was allowed to be jealous. Actually, the fact that he thought he had the right to yell at her was even worse. Yes, she made the decision to stay by his side even though he chose Kikyo, because she had believed she could find happiness with him nonetheless. However, it did not mean he was allowed to toy with her heart by being _jealous_ of another man. Though it was rather nice to know he cared.

On the other hand, he should have realized by now the she was not the kind of girl who went around smooching boys. Yes, perhaps she was still rather young and did not hold a defined meaning of _love,_ but she had self-respect. Plus, she told Inuyasha that Kouga was not her type. _'Y__eah, nice, caring, devoted and loyal isn't my type.'_ she thought.

She had to admit, though, he was bold; she gave him that much. For a while Kagome had thought Hojo was a little forward, but it was nothing compared to Kouga. It was still difficult for her to believe he proclaimed his love for her out loud in such a fashion. She could feel a blush creep back up onto her cheeks. Who did something like that?

On top of that, he blasted her with his silly remarks about how she was his woman and wolves mated for life! Apparently, wolves also did not consult anyone before they laid claims! As if she was someone that could just be _taken_. Clearly Kouga had his perspective of humans all wrong; she was not about to be claimed against her will.

She sighed heavily.

Though they were both canines, Inuyasha and Kouga had nothing else in common.

Well, except for their heated tempers.

However, it served no purpose for her to waste her time thinking about this. The chances of her actually seeing Kouga again were slim, and Inuyasha was being punished since she was returning home. Perhaps this time she would linger on the other side of the well a bit longer and let him stir in his own rage and guilt. If he wanted to be jealous of Kouga, she was not going to stop him. It was his turn to experience that heart wrenching feeling.

Kagome closed her eyes and enjoyed the nice breeze that gently blew against her face. After the heated, strenuous day she had –not counting the roller coaster of emotions- she desperately needed some time to cool off. That, and a long, nice warm bath, which only increased her excitement about returning home. The more time passed, the less she actually got to go back home, leaving her to enjoy every little precious moment.

Her joy began to build when she spotted the well, knowing it would be less than a minute before they reached it. She made sure to pat Kirara to thank her for the ride. As she was about to retract her hand, Kagome felt Kirara's speed suddenly change and she could not help but open her eyes widely, wondering about the reason. She gently ran her fingers through Kirara's fur as she glanced left and right.

"What is it Kirara?"

The neko tilted her head up and slightly to the left, before growling at the air. Confused, Kagome did the same an tried to spot the source of Kirara's irritation. Unfortunately, she could not see nor sense anything, forcing her to glance back down at her feline companion. She thought the neko would do the same, but she kept peering at the sky as if she was waiting for something to drop or even worse; _attack_.

"Is there someone after us?" Kagome tried with her head inclined to the side.

Kirara's fangs glinted as her lips curled into a snarl and a hissing sound slipped from her, before she harshly sped to the right. If it was not for the way Kagome was holding onto her, she would have fallen to the ground. Her breathing became heavy as she repositioned herself on Kirara panickedly, and her grip on the fur strengthened. _'__Why did this always happen to her?'_

"What is it?" she asked, despite the fact that Kirara could not provide her with an answer.

Nonetheless, Kagome could tell from the look in Kirara's eyes that she did not know any more than she did. Kagome twisted her body around as she attempted to obtain a better view of her surroundings. It was then, that out of the blue she felt a big shock. Something wet splashed against her back.

It was not until droplets hit the fur around Kirara's neck that Kagome realized what it was; blood. A small fear took hold of her heart before she spun around to take a look at the neko. Near where Kagome was sitting, was a giant gash, and blood was pouring out. Kagome did not need to wonder if Kirara was in a lot of pain; the way she was wavering through the air, the slowed speed and the lost in altitude answered that for her.

The opponent still unknown, Kagome began scanning the sky once more. The moment she lifted her head in the air she found herself face to face with giant, metallic claws. A gasp did not have time to pass her lips as they wrapped around her body, penetrating her sides, breaking the flesh and leaving her with an immense pain jolting through her body.

Slowly, she was lifted through the air as a ripping sound echoed through. At that moment Kagome found the strength to keep her eyes wide open, only to see Kirara even more wounded. The neko stopped flying completely and allowed her body to collapse against the ground meters from the well. Her will to struggle completely dissipated as she lay unconscious on the grass, which tainted her surroundings in red.

Meanwhile, Kagome desperately attempted to scream, hoping she would be heard, but no sound came out. The pain caused by the claws digging in her skin left her breathless, voiceless and helpless. Tears shone in her eyes as she did her best to keep consciousness. She twisted her neck, straining it painfully to catch a glimpse of her assailant.

To her surprise, it was none other than a bird of paradise.

Her eyes widened in horror. Hadn't they … killed them all?

Even from the terrible angle she was in, it was easy to tell the bird suffered a good amount of damage. Half of his feathers were missing and claw marks, probably a result of Inuyasha, covered its body. Was it coming after her for revenge? She was not the one who had done the most damage! She killed one of them, no more! _And_ she did it in self-defense… well… someone else's self defense.

Why her? Why not Inuyasha, or Kouga? Not that she wanted her friends injured, but this made no sense. She was a worthless prey… was she not?

But she could see the jewel shards and the birds of paradise were aware of that.

Infuriation spread throughout her body; was she ever going to be more than a jewel detector? It was high time they got _someone_ _else_ to do that.

Since her voice was betraying her due to the insufferable pain, Kagome took hold of one of the claws with her tiny hands and attempted to pull herself free. She grunted, she sweated, but no matter what she did the darn thing would not budge. She hit it in frustration, but the bird did not even react; it probably could not even feel it!

Panic took hold of her mind as she felt him squeeze her even harder and a scream finally made it pass her lips. Unfortunately for her, they were quite up high in the sky and she had no idea of her location. On top of that, nobody was going to be looking for her right away since they all thought she went home! Her only hope was the injured Kirara…

As her blood began soaking through her white shirt, Kagome found herself becoming even dizzier then before. She did her best to hang onto consciousness, but she could hardly fight it. Her eyelids were getting heavier by the second as her mind pulled in and out of the darkness of a blackout. _'__Just hold on_.' If she passed out she would die, she was certain of it. Not that her chances of survival were really great at the moment either way.

Her bottom lip quivered and Kagome pressed a hand on the bird's foot trying to unleash some of her power. It was a desperate attempt, but it was all she had. It did not always work, but she prayed it would now. She focused all her attention and energy on it and waited for something to happen. Seconds passed before finally, flashes of pink emerged from her fingers.

Unfortunately for her, it did not turn out as expected. Instead of causing the bird to release her, his grip increased the moment he felt the pain.

Once all that happened, her will was concentrated on remaining awake as the barely hurt bird picked up his speed. Kagome could already tell it meant nothing good; they were reaching their destination fast. She opened her eyes as best she could and stole a peek around. She somewhat expected to be returned to the bird's nest where Inuyasha and the others should still be, but unfortunately she did not recognize the area.

Where was it taking her?

At that moment they began flying over mountains, but they were not as _rocky_ as the one in front of Kouga's den. Vegetation was green and full and there was also a nice waterfall leading to a hot spring. As the increase in speed did not cease, Kagome found herself coughing, blood splattering upon her ruined uniform. She was gasping for air, trying to wiggle herself free and hoping to live.

She cursed herself for not even having arrows, which she could have used to stab her opponent; perhaps that would have worked better. She wrapped a hand around her own throat, almost as if it was going to soothe her and despite her best efforts, her eyes closed as exhaustion took over her. Against her will, Kagome's body began thrusting around, the pain taking its toll.

Kagome shivered as a coldness wrapped itself around her body. Her head reclined back, the shift in weight causing one of the claws to rip through her body and clothes even more. Since she felt so light headed, Kagome believed she would not survive the kidnapping and she forced her closed eyelids to hold back the tears. Her heart was racing and she could not even tell how much time had gone by since the bird took her.

It was in that instant, when she thought all to be lost, that the bird's perfect flight was interrupted. She felt it shake around and an intense scream of pain escaped its mouth. He began zigzagging around in the air as she felt something gushy hitting her in the face, blinding her at the same time. Their speed picked up as they grew closer to what she figured was the ground.

Kagome was unable to brace herself for the impact as she made contact with the ground, head first. A pain spread through her skull to the rest of her body while she yelped weakly. She could feel her blood spilling all around her, but she could not see it. She heard a big crunching sound and everything turned to darkness as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

-E-

**_"Come on! Hurry! We gotta bring her back!"_**

**_"She ain't gonna make it! Look at all that blood! She's gonna die if we move her too much."_**

**_"Well we can't take care of her here!"_**

**_"Fine, but if Sis dies, I'm telling Kouga it's your fault!"_**

Kagome was unable to open her eyes but she could, during her brief moments of awareness, hear voices that sounded rather familiar. _'__Sis? Kouga?'_ What did Kouga have to do with this? She was trying to remember what happened but each time she attempted to think, it felt like her brain was being squashed under a giant rock.

Her body was being gently swung back and forth as she assumed they were carrying her. No matter how hard she tried, her eyelids refused to lift up, which forced her to remain in the darkness. She could feel thick liquids running down her body as she was being moved and if she had been able, she would have shuddered in disgust.

Her mind could barely wonder if the people carrying her were actually friends rather then foes, but the words she heard earlier had kept her at ease a bit. It sounded like they cared for her safety, though her mind was nothing more than a blur. All she knew was that these people were not strangers and if her head was not pounding as much as it was, it would all make sense.

If she could just…stay awake.

Ginta frowned a bit as he felt less movement coming from Kagome. "Do you think she's still alive?"

"She's lost a lot of blood." Hakkaku replied, unable to provide his friend with a better answer.

She was still breathing when they found her which he considered was a good sign. Kagome did not yet carry the scent of death around her, meaning they would do their best to keep her alive until they reached the den. Who knew, perhaps she would be lucky. It was already almost a miracle that they found and rescued her!

Well… they did not know about her until… it was a bit too late.

He could remember how a little bit after bringing Kouga back to the den, they heard the horrifying sound of a bird of paradise. Most of them were shocked since they were under the impression they killed every single one of them during the attack. Refusing to let one of these beasts live, they went after it.

It was obvious the bird meant to attack them since it did not fly over their den, but sneaked behind where their defenses, because of the amounts of waterfall and hot springs, were lacking. They could not allow it to take any more lives.

Ginta was the one to shoot it and jumped in joy when he reached its target. Of course it was also then that a fairly familiar human scream was heard along with blood splattering around. Once the scent hit their noses, there no longer was doubt: the blood belonged to Kagome.

After fear took hold of their hearts, they rushed to the scene to find her with the beast's claws still stuck in her flesh. They did their best to free her without causing too much damage and were now trying to save her life. Once Kouga learned about this, he would have their heads for allowing harm to come to his woman!

But how were they supposed to know? They were simply trying to protect the den from one of those wretched birds!

Also, Kagome rescued them which meant they owed her one and this was not exactly the best way to pay her back. However, now that she was under their care they intended on protecting her at any cost.

"Are we almost there?" Hakkaku asked from the back.

"I can see the den." Ginta answered with a bit of excitement in his voice.

They tried to hurry even more, without hurting Kagome. It did not take long for the scent of fresh, sweet blood to reach the den, attracting some of the pack members out who were salivating slightly. Ginta could not help but frown as he noticed the group gather, even though most of them did not understand just exactly _who_ was injured.

"I don't think Kouga would like you eating his woman." he said while baring his fangs.

The tall wolf in front of him backed away slightly with his eyes widening. He already got in trouble once with Kouga today when he almost ate his female; he would not be given a second chance. He hurried to back away, which allowed Ginta and Hakkaku to move along.

"Make yourself useful! Get that healer! The woman healer!"

Kouga would not appreciate having a male put his paws all over his woman! "MOVE! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY YOU IDIOTS! WE'VE GOT AN INJURED GIRL HERE!"

Meanwhile, Kouga was in the den resting upon furs with his back pressed against the cold walls of the cave. His eyes were closed as he withheld his anger. Most of his rage was directed towards Inuyasha, but a small part towards himself. The Mutt-face had **_his_** woman with him. Of course, such thing would not have happened if he were stronger.

He allowed that damn bird to get the best of him, leaving him unable to fight for Kagome. It did not matter though; he would not give up on her. She only cared for that Inutrasha because she did not know any better; she had yet to be around a real demon for enough time. Once he was all fixed up, he would find her and bring her back.

Though, that was the last time he kidnapped her. She had quite the temper and apparently demons did not scare her one bit. He could not help but chuckle at the thought of his feisty woman.

When Sis's chest felt slightly lighter, he allowed himself to gaze around. It was then that his eyes landed on human bones, which caused him to frown. He could not let that eating habit perpetuate. His pack would no longer eat human. It was not right, especially now, since his little woman was one of them. He did not think they would miss it too much, after all it was not something they regularly ate.

They did not _chase_ humans, but if they found them along the way, especially during a search… then they would eat them. It was just a foolish habit and it would stop now. Plus, they would no longer need to raid villages for shards anymore when they had Kagome to help them.

Kouga's thoughts were interrupted when someone came tumbling in. He closed his eyes, shutting off the vicinity and its noises.

"Where's that healer at?"

A wolf that was sitting near a fire at the entrance raised his head, puzzled. "The healer? She's in the back of the den. Whaddaya need her for?"

"Ginta and Hakkaku brought back this girl. She's bleeding," he said, as he tried to spot the healer from his current location.

At the sound of_ bleeding girl_, Kouga's pointy ears perked up. Everyone was safe in the den, nobody had gotten out and he knew for a fact he did not lose anyone on the battlefield. That did not leave many options and he did not like it. Despite the throbbing pain in his arm, he pulled himself together and rose to his feet. His steps were fast as he dragged himself to the outside of the cave only to have his nose assaulted by the strong scent of blood. His woman's blood.

Ignoring his injury, he rushed to her side and shoved everyone out of his way. His eyes widened in surprise when he obtained a good look at her. The opened wounds, the blood gushing out of them, her fragile frame appeared to be broken and her chest was not rising up and down meaning she was barely breathing. Kouga clenched his fist tightly which caused his entire arm to tremble while his fury rose.

"What the hell did ya do to my woman?"

Ginta gulped. "Nothing… it was-there was this bird of paradise… it kidnapped her... we killed it but…"

_'Another damn bird of paradise!'_Those filthy things! Had he not fucking finished them all off? Was there really no way for them to completely be rid of the birds forever? Most importantly, how dare they attack is precious Kagome like this! She did not fight them, she did not destroy their pack, _he_ did.

"Are they any left?" he asked, while glaring at the sky just _wishing_ he could spot one so that he could rip it apart.

Ginta shook his head. "It was the last one, I'm pretty sure. He was already hurt when we finished him off."

Kouga clenched his fist even more as he re-focused his attention back on Kagome. He bent down slowly and gently cupped Kagome's cheek and brushed her skin and some of the gushy liquid away. He wished some of them were still alive just so he could destroy them and shred them to pieces for what they did to her. He kept glancing at her face because he knew if he peered at her sides, he would lose it.

"Get her inside. I want every healer looking after my woman, got that?"

Hakkaku nodded and Ginta resumed bringing Kagome inside the main den. Meanwhile Kouga looked out at the distance and he could still faintly smell the bird of paradise. He would make sure personally that this bird was dead. Forgetting that he was hurt, he walked in direction of it with every intention of destroying the body until there was nothing left.

Prior to exiting the den, he turned around to glance at his pack. "You guys over there, go destroy the birds' bodies _now_. Every single one of them, ya hear me?"

Kouga did not need to repeat himself twice, they obeyed his orders and immediately ran in direction of the birds of paradise's nest. He would not take any chance; they would all be pulled apart and ripped to pieces. They would also get a lot of meat out of them, which would be pay back for all the wolves those bastards ate. He would make sure their spirits suffered that humiliation.

His bottom lip was trembling because of high level of anger. He also felt like a failure; his woman was gone for such a short amount of time, and she got injured! If he did not get his shard ripped out his arm none of it would have happened. If his prowess had remained perfect, he would have killed that Dog Shit Inutrasha idiot and Kagome would have safely remained by his side.

He would not be making this mistake again. From now on, he would protect her every second of every day and he would not let her out of his sight.

She was his to protect.

-E-

Blood was dripping down Kouga's arms as he headed back inside his territories. It did not take him too long to notice that every else returned, which meant the job was done. They would not dare to return without every single bird destroyed, not after what the flying bastards had done– not just attack Kagome, but feeding off their pack for months.

His heart was pumping in his chest, ready to burst the entire time he was gone. The only thing on his mind was Kagome, and he could only hope the healers were able to take care of her injuries. He did feel a tad bit of worry however, despite his own reassuring thoughts. The healers were not human healers, but they should be just as good… right?

He wiped some of the blood dripping from his cheek with his hand, but only smudged it more across his tanned skin. As soon as he was half way near the main cave, Ginta rushed outside and once he spotted Kouga he ran to his side, still appearing a bit nervous. Kouga could not even pretend it was because there was good news.

"How is she?" Kouga asked as both he and Ginta finally came to a stop.

"They bandaged her wounds." he began with one hand behind his head. Oh boy, why was he always the one to tell Kouga? "We just don't know… She's human Kouga. She doesn't heal like us."

Ginta did not know how else to explain it. They did their best… but would that be enough for a human like Kagome? No matter how feisty she was, her healing process was still slow.

"I _know_ that. That's why they were all supposed to take care of her."

"They did. They bandaged her up, they cleaned the wounds and stuff. She's sleeping now and breathing easier." He took a pause before remembering an important detail. "Don't worry, I made sure nobody looked at her."

He did not mention it when he barked orders, but Ginta knew it was important nobody caught a glimpse of Kagome's body.

Kouga sent all the healers in there both male and female without even thinking about that. Though, he hoped nobody was stupid enough to look at her. Usually he would have allowed only the females, but her life was in danger, leaving him with no choice really. Or at least that would have been his rational thinking if was given the time to be rational.

He put a hand on G,inta's shoulder to thank him, before he resumed his previous actions, thus allowing his friend to finally _breathe_. Now that he made sure his woman would not be harmed, now that he avenged her to the best of his ability, he needed to be by her side and make sure she was okay. It was all he could do for her.

Everyone moved out of his way as he headed inside, the stench of blood even worse there. He held back a frown as his eyes finally landed on his woman. There was a healer kneeing by her side pressing a wet cloth on her forehead. She had a fever. Humans were not very resilient to fevers from what he knew. The thought caused his heart to squeeze.

"Will she be okay?"

"She's gonna have to be looked after constantly. Someone's gotta change her bandages and keep her cool."

"I will."

He never did anything like that before, but it could not possibly be that difficult could it? Plus he would rather be the one looking after her.

Now his only problem was that Kagome could not stay where she was. They brought her into the main cave because it was the closest place to treat her. It was, however, also the most dangerous place in the den. Usually the women of the pack avoided the area and rarely ventured in, at least not alone. This was set up directly at the entrance, leaving it more open for attacks.

"Can she be moved?"

The woman frowned. "I don't recommend it."

"Will it make her worse?"

If he had no choice, he would keep her here but it would be much more complicated.

"You'd have to do it carefully. She'll bleed out again if you're not."

Kouga stood still and pondered the best course of actions. Would it be safer to have many people carry her, or was it better if he was the only one holding her? After reflecting upon the matter, he decided he would do it alone. He slowly bent down and gently put his hands both under her neck and knees, and lifted her. He made sure to keep a distance between her body and his chest as to not irritate her wounds.

His steps were slow and careful as he made his way out of the main cave. The only safe place he could take her too was his own little place. He glanced around until his eyes landed on Hakkaku and Ginta.

"Get some furs laid down for her."

They did not need to be told twice as they ran so they would be ahead of Kouga. Usually such a situation would have brought a few wiggles of the eyebrow, but now was not the time, nor was it appropriate.

Her scent was so sweet and pure and now it was tainted with blood and the stench of the bird. Not only that, but her skin was pale and her breathing was slow. That, along with the fact that he could barely hear her heartbeat, was enough to make him cringe in guilt. He glanced down at her, the near irresistible urge to brush her bangs away rising.

"I won't fail you again."

It was with his heart swollen with regret that he entered his secluded part of the den and gently laid her down on the fur Ginta and Hakkaku prepared for her. He made sure her head was resting comfortably and her injuries not pressing on anything, before pulling arms away. He forced himself to tear his eyes away and glanced at Hakkaku.

"Bring me the bandages and other stuff she needs."

Now his duty was ripping him apart. On one hand, he had to look after his tribe, hunt for them, protect them. On the other, she was his woman and he had to be the one to help her heal. His loyalties to both were great and he felt conflicted. He would have to find a way to do fulfill all his responsibilities. At least they no longer had to worry about the birds of paradise.

A deep sigh rolled through Kouga's lips as he sat down near her, his eyes never leaving her broken body. He didn't need sleep, at least not much of it. If he took no rest at all, then it would be easier to manage. As Kouga watched her rest, his mind wandered. Now that he did not fear as much for her life, it was easier to think.

The moment he discovered her arrival at his den, the first thing he thought of was that he failed her. He completely omitted the fact that she was with Muttface and her friends. Out of all of them, how come they only found Kagome? He had seen them fight and there was no way they all got capture by _one bird_. There was also no way none of them could have helped Kagome.

The only explanation he could come up with was that she was alone when it had all happened. Obviously though, that only brought forward more questions. Like why was she alone in the first place, for example. The mutt was an idiot, but he would not have let her go off on her own... would he? Unless maybe Kagome left… He sighed; the more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

He would have to wait until she woke up to have his answers.

"Here you go." Ginta said as he dropped the bucket beside Kouga, along with the cloth.

Meanwhile, Hakkaku put some herbs and bandages on a clean piece of cloth the floor. "That woman said to change them twice a day at least. And wash the wounds first."

"I _know_."

He might not be a healer, but he'd gotten his share of injuries in the past. He was not the youngest tribe leader ever to be in power because he stood in the shade and watched others work. The shards had not made him a leader, he did that himself with all the effort he put into it. The shards just happened to be a bonus _after_ he'd come into his place as head of the pack.

"Should Sis stay in those bloody clothes?"

Kouga twisted his mouth to the side as he glanced upon her tattered clothes. They were nothing like any garb he had ever seen before. In his opinion, they revealed a bit much, but perhaps that was the way they dressed in her village. Though most human women he saw wore kimonos.

"Probably not."

Nobody had changed her out of the ruined material since it was an emergency and frankly he did not feel right doing it himself. She might be his woman, but she was not awake and he would not undress her without her consent because it would not be right. He would have to order one of the women to do it later. At the moment, they did not have any clothes for her.

"Send someone to retrieve Kimonos for her."

Ginta and Hakkaku both nodded before they exited the cave. They were worried for their sister, but knew their presence would be too much. Their leader needed to be alone with his intended mate for now. If Kouga called upon them to come help, then they would come rushing back. Still, that did nothing to ease the worry in their hearts; hopefully she would be fine.

Kouga gave into his urge and softly brushed her hair aside. He was well aware that humans took longer to heal, he just did not know how long. Her injury would not be bad on a demon, but a human… was it fatal? He could not allow her to die, especially not under his supervision. Also, he was the one who dragged her through the whole mess with the birds of paradise; it was his fault.

"Don't worry Kagome, I'm gonna look after you."

-E-


	2. Bleeding Wounds

**A/N:** I am _so so_**sorry!** I never meant to take so long to update. You all have permission to smack me. I want to thank you for _all_ the reviews. I never expected so many, seriously. You guys are awesome. Also, this chapter might seem a little slow, and I apologize for that. I kinda needed Kagome to be _hurt_ so she can't be all like talking and peppy. She's pretty much... just asleep.

I promise the third chapter is gonna be more... exciting!

Also this is not beta and I tend to write at weird hours. Mostly night time. I'm gonna look it over after I FINALLY get some sleep.

**Enamored**

**Chapter 2: Bleeding Wounds**

The sun set and the surroundings became darker as the night fell. Despite the amount of time that went by, Kouga did not leave Kagome's side. She was still unconscious, increasing his worry for her. Humans were weaker but… _how long_ was it going to take before she was finally awake?

Suddenly, footsteps interrupted his train of thoughts. Ginta walked in, holding branches, and Hakkaku was not far behind with a flaming torch in his hand.

"We thought she might get cold and ya know - she lost all that blood."

_Cold!_ Of course! She was probably freezing! He was unable to feel such a small amount of coldness and he was more concerned with checking if she was breathing that the thought did not occur to him. _Idiot_. Did he not fail her enough for today already?

Ginta and Hakkaku slowly settled the fire near Kagome which immediately brought warmth to the vicinity.

"Is she gettin' better?"

"Did ya change her bandages?"

"I know how to take care of _my woman_!"

Both Ginta and Hakkaku backed away at his tone. "We just wanna make sure Sis is alrigh'."

"I ain't gonna let her die."

To be honest, he had yet to change her bandages. Her clothes were extremely ripped which caused them to merge with the blood and wounds. If he was to put new bandages on there was no doubt that he would have to completely undress her. By now fresh kimonos were brought for her and they were neatly folded in a pile which would make that task easy...

But he still had to _change_ her. Undress her.

He could always bring back one of the healers to do it. He was _supposed_ to be the one to take care of her but the way he knew his Kagome and she would not appreciate it if he undressed her without her consent. Granted, she was his future mate… well, exactly… she was his _future_ mate.

He did not want to get slap again. For a human, she hit hard.

"Bring Miku in here," he finally said.

Ginta nodded before the two of them left while Kouga dropped his hands to ground level. He gently ran his clawed fingers through Kagome's tangled, bloody locks and he watched as her chest barely rose with each breath she took. As long as the smell of death did not overtake her regular scent, he would keep himself from panicking.

Barely a few moments went by before Miku came into the den with concerned eyes. Kouga might be quite young to be the tribe's leader but he never showed any fear. He was always confident and led them to safety. She did see him afraid to lose the little ones, but nothing like the look he had in his eyes right now. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she kneeled down beside him.

"You called?"

"I can't change her bandages."

She nodded before moving closer to Kagome. The girl was in bad shape; there was no denying that. Considering the dry puddle of blood underneath her, Miku was surprised the girl had no faded yet.

"I'll take care o' her."

Kouga seemed somewhat relieved as he removed his hand from Kagome's hair. After throwing one last longing glance her way, he rose to his feet. "I'll be outside."

His footsteps were slow as he headed to the entrance of the den and once he reached it, he leaned against it. From here, he could still hear her heartbeat. It was slow and out of pace, but it was beating and he could not ask for more. It was hard for him to not take a peek at the sky as he expected to see another one of those wretched birds.

He knew they were all dead, he knew they searched, but he was going to send another hunting party tomorrow. He was not going to be at peace until the entire area was inspected over and over again. He brought her into this mess; it was _his_ fault she was injured. If it was not for him the bird of paradise would not even know she existed.

For the first time since Kagome was brought into his tribe injured, he allowed himself take a deep breath. Kagome was going to live and regain her good health. It was the only way he could make it up to his mate. How was she supposed to consider him worthy if he failed her like this? She _was_ different from the other females he knew – even human ones – but he did not think she wanted a weak alpha.

Kagome would not get injured again.

He swore on his life that it was the last time something like this happened to her. It was a mistake to leave her behind with Inuyasha despite his injured arm. He should have honored his duties and remained by her side to protect her. Even with an injury, he could have protected her better than Inuyasha did.

Talking about that idiot, where was he anyway? He was probably too ashamed of himself for letting Kagome almost die. _He better not show his face around here,_ thought Kouga, _or I'm going to slice his throat open._ That stupid useless mutt.

"Kouga?"

He nearly jumped before spinning around. "Did something happen?"

She smiled. "No, she's fine. I didn't move her, but I changed her clothes. I left her o'd clothes in the corner."

"Thanks," he said with a nod.

She gently patted him on the shoulder before walking past him. It was going to be a long night for their leader and she prayed the girl would live and be awake by morning. If she passed away, she did not think her leader would handle it very well.

Kouga took little steps inside almost as if he was afraid to disturb Kagome's peacefulness. It was foolish since she was clearly unconscious but he still wanted to be careful. Once he was fully inside his den, he found her lying in a pearly white kimono with beautiful pink sakura flowers spread all over the soft fabric.

He moved a bit further from her body and picked up a few furs to lie over her body. There might be a fire but he wanted to make sure she was not going to suffer from the cold. He already ignored that factor once and he was not going to do it twice.

Once she was properly tucked in, he leaned in against the nearest rock wall with his head inclined backwards. He did not need much sleep and he was especially not going to rest tonight. Nonetheless, his heart was still pumping rather fast and he needed to calm down. _His_ Kagome was fine for now and if something occurred, he had a whole tribe at his disposition. All he had to do – actually all he _could_ do - was wait.

-E-

Light was peeking into the den through the entrance, its bright rays caressing Kagome's face. The disturbance was enough to force her to stir from her sleep. She forcefully shut her eyes before trying to open them again. Everything was blurry and her head was pounding like drum, bringing her pain.

While the blurriness dissipated, she realized she did not recognize her surroundings. As she was about to lift her upper body to inspect the vicinity, she realized she had no strength. She was stuck lying down on the ground, unable to move herself.

Instead of words coming out of her mouth, all she could utter were groans of anguish. What was happening? Why was the light hurting her eyes so badly and why could she not move? Panic took hold of her and she tried to wriggle free of whatever was holding her down. She wanted to scream, _help please,_ but not words came out of her mouth.

The sounds of her torment increased but nobody came for her. Where was Inuyasha, Sango or even Miroku? Why wasn't anybody helping her? Was this a plan from Naraku?

"Kagome? Kagome, calm down!"

This voice – it was – wait, it was Kouga? She lifted her head to the best of her abilities and glanced up. There he was, his blue eyes shining with concern as he hovered on top of her.

"Are you alright? Are you in pain?"

When she first started to move, he was not certain if it was real or he was hallucinating it. After all, he spent the entire night staring at her and he would not be surprised if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Nonetheless, after he heard a few more grunts coming from her direction, he realized she was indeed awake. Unfortunately, she did not appear to be in a good state.

"P-pa-in," she managed to say.

He gently brought a hand to her head and caressed her hair. "I'm sorry Kagome."

Kouga was able to see in her eyes that she was confused, especially since she was looking in every direction with tears forming in her eyes.

"You're home. You're in my den, Kagome. You were injured." And near death but he was not going to tell her that.

She offered him what seemed like a nod before closing her eyes, which caused some tears to fall and slide down her cheeks. Witnessing that made Kouga experience a new kind of agony. It was like he was dying and his heart was not beating. She was _crying_. He preferred her yelling than crying!

"Try not to move too much. You got lots of bandages."

Bandages? He mentioned an injury but – and then it all rushed back to her. She remembered the fight with Inuyasha and then how she planned on going home but then she was attacked. Oh yes! One of the damn birds attacked her and Kirara! Oh no Kirara! Was she here? Did Kouga help her or did she die? _Oh my god_, what if she died?

No, Kirara was a youkai of some sort, she would be fine, she would survive a small attack like this. Although, she could remember there was a lot blood… Despite the pain, Kagome tried to turn her neck and see if see could catch a glimpse of Kirara but regardless of her efforts, she was barely able to move.

"Hey, hey, don't move like that," Kouga said before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Ki-kirara!"

Who the hell was Kirara? His eyes shifted to the left then to the right as he tried to remember. Oh. Wasn't that the big cat they had following them around?

"She's not here."

Her heart dropped slightly and she found herself hoping that Sango and the others managed to find her before it was too late.

Kouga's face saddened at the shift in her scent and he began to feel guilty. He did not know about her injured friend! But if it was this important to her, then it was important to him. He dared to rise to his feet and rushed to the entrance of the den. He would send some of his men to try and retrieve the cat for her. Anything he could do to make her more comfortable, he would.

Kagome lay there and tried to move her head forward. It was then that she was able to feel something soft, like fur, on her face. Maybe it was the weight of the fur that prevented her from standing up. If she was weak, it would be enough to hold her down. Perhaps she could get Kouga to move them once he would return.

Wait. Kouga. How did _he_ find her? She could not have gone that far from the well could she? Inuyasha should have returned to Kaede's village and she was certain he would have smelled blood and followed the trail. Then again, during all the confusion they may have strayed further than she realized from their path.

A few seconds passed before Kouga was by her side again. Instead of looking at her, his eyes were glancing over her body. The blood from her wounds managed to soak through the fur, staining it. They were going to have to change her again because he could not keep her in such dirty clothes. Although that also brought forward another problem.

He might change her clothes constantly but that did not change the state of her body and wounds. They were going to have to wash her eventually but she looked so weak that he was not sure he trusted her in the owater by herself.

"Fur, c-an y-ou take—off."

He quirked his eyebrows before understanding what she was saying. Gently, he picked up the fur from her body and laid it on the ground. Once again, he watched as she tried to sit up without much success. Since he could see she was not going to give up on that idea, he decided to help her. Kouga dropped down to his knees, her head touching his legs.

Gently, Kouga grabbed her by the shoulders and began to lift her up as delicately as he could. Slowly, with both their help, they managed to get her in a sitting position with her back pressed against his chest. He was mindful of her injuries as he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her up.

The effort of maintaining her own head up proved to be too much for her and she immediately leaned her head backwards to rest on his chest. As soon as she did that, he found himself regretting not taking off his armor. It was probably not very comfortable for her. He tried to shift around but he then came to the conclusion that it probably was not helping.

Kagome was so far gone, she did not even know it was something hard instead of soft beneath her head. Since Kouga pulled away the fur she found herself cold but now that she was close to Kouga's body she was warm again. It was crazy the amount of heat coming from his body. However, the change in her position did cause a problem; she could feel herself bleeding.

"My- wound-s- they-opened up."

Kouga peered down at her body only to notice the blood stains on her kimono increased in size. "I'll get someone."

Before he was able to move, she dug her fingers in his arm out of pain. Her face was grunted into an expression of suffering and all the sudden he felt guilt spread through his body. Everyone – at least those not keeping guard – were resting before the morning hunt. Was he going to be back on time? The scent of blood was increasing fast and he did not like it.

Maybe he would have to undress her by himself.

At that thought, his heart skipped a beat. He did not want to invade her privacy but… he could not watch her die either. He gulped before bending his head forward slightly.

"Kagome?" She probably would not reply but he wanted to get her attention at least. "I- I need to undress you – your wounds…"

He could not even phrase it. As a matter of fact, it was getting harder to ignore the blush burning his cheeks.

Kagome never once peeked at Kouga. Instead, she loked straight ahead. The blood spilling from her wounds was warm as it leaked down her stomach and legs. It made her dizzy and light headed, but despite that, she did understand his words. If her blood supply was not so low, she was certain a pink hue would be covering her face right now.

She did - not – well - she was – _it was embarrassing_, but she was dying. At least, it felt like she was. All she could give him as an answer was a weak nod while her consciousness was slowly slipping away from her.

Kouga gulped once more while his usually steady hands trembled. He fumbled with the knots until he managed to untie them. The front of the kimono opened and revealed her bandaged upper body. Everything was covered but it did not make him feel better since the white bandages were now a dark crimson color. He had to remove them _all_ and apply the weird green substance that was left behind by the healers… and then bandage her up again.

He inhaled deeply before he slowly began to unwrap her. She winced each time he pulled the fabric away from one of her wounds and it made his heart swell with pain. If he could prevent her any suffering he would, but he _had_ to remove everything. His tan hands were tainted red but he did not notice as he removed the last of her bandages.

Kouga lifted his eyes to look at the ceiling as he uncovered her breasts. Nervously, he reached out for the paste and dipped in fingers into it. _Now_ he had to look.

At that point, Kagome laid flat on the ground instead of on his lap. He peered down at her body while he lowered his hand, doing his best to keep it steady. He applied it on her wounds, pressing his hand to her stomach. The higher his hand went, the harder it was to breathe. Then it happened. His fingers grazed her two soft mounds as he lightly applied the paste. They were large, bouncy and – _oh_. Beneath his touch, her nipples were hardening and his mouth went dry.

_That was enough_.

He shakily dropped the pot on the ground and reached out for bandages. He clumsily wrapped her back up, his body refusing to cooperate. It was taking him everything just to not _growl_ while he compressed her breasts against her chest.

Kouga hurried to close up her kimono and then leaned into the wall with a sigh. Her eyes were fully closed and he did not think she _felt_ any of it.

One thing was for sure; he chose his mate well.

-E-

"Sango? Are you okay?"

The slayer kept glancing over her shoulder, searching the sky. "Yeah, I just. Shouldn't Kirara be back by now? I don't think the well was that far."

"_Keh_, knowing Kagome, she probably made her do a million stops. Who knows, maybe they went to see _wolf_ boy." _That stinking wolf_.

Miroku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Inuyasha was being very obvious. Then again, he could hardly blame him; Kouga had some good techniques. Such confidence! If only _he_ could pull off that kind of things… maybe Sango wouldn't slap him every time he tried to compliment her rear.

"_Yeah_," Sango answered, distracted.

She did not know why but she had a bad feeling about this. _Maybe_ she was paranoid but – _No_, everybody was fine. They had to be.

-E-

"How sis?"

"Did she wake up?"

"Can she walk?"

"Is she dead?"

"If she dies, do we eat her?"

"_Shut up,_" Kouga growled as he sat down in front of the fire.

Kagome was sleeping in the cave with Miku watching over her. He did not want to leave her side but he had a tribe to look after. Without him, they were useless. "She's fine. She woke up." Her wounds seemed better this morning. "She is _not_ dead and she's gonna be walkin' just fine once she's all healed up."

"Yeah but she's human."

"I said _shut up_."

The wolf gulped and nodded before trying to disappear into the background. Their leader was _not_ in a good mood today.

"So, when are you gonna make Kagome your woman?"

"Not now you idiot. She's hurt."

The memory of last night flashed through his mind and quickly a blush decorated his cheeks. Her skin was so soft and her breasts perky. If he could only –

"Hey Kouga, Kagome is human."

"I know that you idiot. I told you, it doesn't matter she's human! She can _see_ the jewel shards!"

"I know, I know… but… don't we eat humans?"

_Oh_. Yeah he did not really think that one through. He could see Kagome being pretty upset if they kept that up. "Not anymore," he declared. They were just going to have to hunt something else.

"No- no more humans?"

"That's right. We don't harm humans anymore."

A few grumbled, clearly unhappy but nobody voiced their opinion. Humans were so much easier to come by then other animals… They were going to work twice as hard for their food now.

"_Hey_, remember. With Kagome by our side, we're going to be unstoppable."

They might not be pleased but nobody would go against him. They all knew they had no chance to winning; he had three –well _two_ now – jewel shards. Nobody could catch up to him.

"Now, I need some of you to search the woods for a big – _cat_." What was its name again? Oh yeah. "Kirara."

"A cat?"

"Its Kagome's friend. Its hurt."

"We'll look for it," volunteered Ginta. Beside him, Hakkuka nodded enthusiastically.

"The rest of you go hunting. My woman needs food." He knew she did not eat _humans _but what did she eat? He saw humans eat those – those _vegetables_ but did they eat anything else? They did eat regular meat did they not?

Everyone hurried to their feet and obeyed his order. Considering how aggravated Kouga was, the less they were around him, the better.

Meanwhile, Kouga found himself planning his future. Soon, Kagome would be back on her feet and she would be by his side while he organized the tribe. Her kindness and loyalty would be very good additions to the pack. She would lead them well.

The closer he got to his den, the strong her scent was. It was appeasing, soft and enticing. He could not wait to have her body wrapped around his while he claimed her.

"How is she?" he asked as he poked his head into his den.

"Asleep, but her breathing is better."

Relieved, he walked inside. She looked more peaceful than the other nights. It seemed her wounds stopped bleeding as well. Even sick, she was beautiful. Her skin was paler than usual, contrasting with her long ebony locks. She would make a fine mate.

He did not care that she said _Inutrasha _had a claim on her. That mutt failed her, he let her get injured. Kouga just proved he was a better male than that idiot. She had no choice be to be his now. Regardless, he was not afraid of fighting Inuyasha if it came down to it. Kagome was his and he would prove it no matter what.

Kouga gently tucked her hair behind her ear and let his fingers caress her cheek. She stirred in her sleep and turned her head, leaning against his palm. He smiled, pride swelling his chest. _She did like him_. He knew it. Inuyasha was just messing with her brain but now that she was getting used to being around a _real warrior_, she was slowly forgetting about the mutt.

"I'll leave the two of you alone," Miku said with a chuckle before leaving.

As soon as they were alone, Kouga removed his armor. His bare chest would be much more comfortable for her. He lifted her up, sneaking an arm under her knees and cuddled her against his chest. Immediately she pressed her small palm against torso and he growled. It rumbled through his chest and he tucked her head under his chin. She never stir, she never woke up. She _trusted_ him, she was _comfortable_ around him.

When she denied his request and left with Inuyasha, he thought he was not going to see her for a while. Though he regretted it happened this way, he was happy to have her back in his den. During her sleep, she touched his skin with her mouth and he sighed. He wanted her to get better so that he could make her _his_.

Meanwhile, Kagome felt in heaven. She was surrounded by warmth and _softness_. She felt _fur_ touching her legs and it felt like silk. In her sleep, she reached out for it and gently stroke it.

Because she was in a sleep induced daze, she failed to notice the way Kouga froze underneath her touch. He remained still, not even breathing, as her fingers caressed the fur of his tail. Nobody ever pet his tail before; nobody was allowed to. Her simple touch sent shivers of pleasure down his spine and he found himself staring down at her, lusty hunger shining in his blue eyes.

She was _fragile_, he had to remember that.

Kagome rubbed her cheek against her _pillow_ and smiled. Her body was heavy, so heavy, but this was nice. Her heart was beating fast, too fast. She dared to open her eyes and cast a glance upon tan skin. Wait - _tan skin_? Her eyes opened wide before she realized her new pillow was _Kouga_. She jolted in his arms, releasing his tail. Involuntarily, he whimpered.

Her sudden movements brought her pain and she winced. Right away, he buried his nose in her hair and nuzzled against her. "It's okay Kagome. You're with me." His voice was soft and low as if he was speaking to a fragile animal.

_Kouga_. Ri-ght. He saved her did he not? She tried to remember the events that occurred but it was a bit hazy. She woke up in his cave bloody and he mumbled something about her injuries and then – well she did not remember anything else. She knew _everything_ in her body hurt though and she felt like her bones were _crushed_. Simply breathing was painful

His clawed hand gently ran through her hair, trying to soothe her. He was rather pleased than despite the fact that she was awake, she remained close to him. Her little body fitted so well against his.

Kagome was still dazed and out of it. Her belly felt _warmer_ than the rest of her body and if her pain was any indication, her worse injuries were located there. Was she still bleeding? She remembered seeing so much blood and – _oh_. She stiffened in his hold, panicked. _Kirara!_ Oh no, she never saw her!

"Ginta and Hakkaku are looking for Kirara," he said before brushing her bangs away with his hand.

She was so predictable. She had the _same_ reaction when she woke up the first time. His woman cared more about others than herself.

She breathed a little better and leaned even more into his chest. _Kirara_. They _were_ going to find her. They had to. Maybe Inuyasha and the others did already. She glided her hand across his chest, the muscles ripped under her touch. It was not until she reached the fur covering his lower body that her actions dawned upon her. She was touching Kouga's chest. Kouga's naked chest. She was _pressed_ against Kouga's naked chest.

Heat rose to her face and for a moment, she tried to pull away but his strong hold kept her close. "You're gonna make your injuries worse," he almost snapped.

Why was she fighting him? He was only trying to protect her.

A heavy blush was on her pale cheeks as she closed her eyes. _He was right_. The more she moved the more the pain increased. But – the closeness… the… _she saw a naked guy before she even kissed one!_ Technically he was not fully naked but still. This was wrong. This was _Kouga_. Him and his pack did protect her and he was nice to her but… well he also kidnapped her! She was purposefully leaving aside all of his declarations of love.

She did want to pull away but she was so exhausted and he was _so warm_. Maybe if she stayed just a little while longer. One more nap and she would feel better right? Then – Kouga would find Inuyasha for her and she would be back on her way. Yes, she only needed to stay with Kouga a bit longer. She tried to reposition herself but she was too weak to move her own body.

Once again, Kagome relaxed in his arms and it pleased him. "I'll take care of you."

She knew he meant it. She did trust him. Her fate could have been worse when she was attacked. At least with Kouga her safety was assured. He did have _two_ jewel shards. It was no sword but…

He bent down and pressed his mouth to the top of her head, the scorching heat of her flesh warming his lips. The simple fact that she was awake and _feisty_ made him happy. He knew she would recover; his woman was strong. He began softly growling against her hair, speaking a tongue she did not understand.

The sounds against her head actually soothed the pain throbbing through her brain. "_Mm. More_," she mumbled barely audibly. It was the first time she was not in agony and she wanted to hold on to that feeling.

He tried his best not to smirk as he kept going, just as she requested. He let his nose brush up against her forehead and he inhaled her scent. Her scent was memorized in his brain; he would recognize it no matter what. He would always be able to find her.

She looked so innocent in his arms but he remembered the fire inside of her. Her eyes light up when she smacked him after he announced to everyone that she was going to be his woman. The pack accepted her and the only thing she ever said was that someone else made a claim. Inuyasha _had_ to be out of the way by now. She had no reason to not accept him.

He slid his fingers down to her neck and gently rubbed her skin. She made a sound resembling a moan and he smirked. She was extremely receptive to his touch and it pleased him.

Soon, the woman of his dreams would be all his.

-E-


	3. Slow Process

**A/N:** I know, slow update. I'm sorry. OTL. I'm lame. Thanks for the reviews though, I don't deserve you guys! You're all amazing.

Again, 4am. Not beta-ed. I apologize. T.T

**Enamored**

**Chapter 3: Slow Process**

"_Are ya stupid? I **told ya** to cook it!_"

Kouga was snarling as he bore his fangs at Ginta. They offered him _raw_ meat. What was he supposed to do with _raw_ meat? Kagome made it clear she found it disgusting! He personally thought it ruined the flavor of it but this was not about him. His woman was weak and she needed energy! He would be damned if she did not get her food exactly the way she loved it.

Ginta and Hakkaku stared at each other, nervous. "But- but Kouga, how do we cook it?"

Usually whatever meat they ate – _human or animal –_ they just dove right in and ripped chunks off with their mouth and fingers. They loved it when the blood dripped down their chins. They did not know the first thing about cooking meat and preparing it for a _human_. Kagome was the first one they did not _eat_.

"Put it above a fire, ya _idiot_s."

"Right, right," they mumbled before scramming off with the boar. Kouga was in a _bad_ mood and they would not be the one to piss him off even more.

Out of frustration, Kouga punched the rock wall beside him. Kagome did not eat since she got injured. _Actually_, unless she ate while she was with mutt face, she did not eat since he first kidnapped her. He was trying to take care of her, to make up for the few mistakes he made, but everyone was making it so damn difficult.

She spent the night fairly restless but he found that he welcomed the way she stirred in her sleep. At least it meant her health was improving. She even let him stroke her hair all night as if it soothed her and took away her pain. _Of course it did_. She felt safe with him and it made her feel better. He knew she was beginning to realize Inuyasha was no good for her. He was the one male she needed, him and nobody else.

The sun was rising in the horizon and another day was dawning upon them. The wolves who stood guard all night were finally retreating to their dens while new ones took their places. Although their main enemies were dead, Kouga refused to let his guard down. On top of that, he was sort of expecting a visit from Inutrasha.

Even that idiot should be able to eventually track down Kagome. Since he was hot headed and reckless, he would probably try to take Kagome away while she was still injured. Kouga's priority was her safety and he would make sure Inuyasha did not get anywhere near her.

After glancing at the vicinity one more time, he found himself inside his den once more. Kagome was still sleeping and considering the disturbed nights she was having, he figured it would be a while before she woke up. _Good_. He wanted her food to be ready before she was awake.

Immediately, he found himself seeking her presence. He sat down near her and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. She was so beautiful. She would make a beautiful alpha female for the pack and she would bear him many strong, handsome sons. They would be hanyous but they would be from her so he did not care. On top of that, they would have jewel shards. Nobody would dare to mess with them, hanyous or not.

He ran his thumb across the soft skin of her cheek. Surprisingly, he found her tilting her head to lean into his touch. She - she was trying to nuzzle him! A smirk of satisfaction appeared on his face and he almost chuckled. Not so taken was she? He knew she just needed to be around him to know what a real youkai was like.

Kouga dared his hand further until his fingertips brushed against her lips. He did not even kiss her yet. He almost did when he announced she would be his but her slap caught him off guard. His woman was a feisty little thing.

"Hnmh," she mumbled in her sleep.

"Kagome?" he tried.

It seemed to snap her out of it and she turned around, burying her face right into his crotch. A blush immediately rose to his cheeks and he retracted his hands from her body. He froze in place as she slowly nuzzled. His hands shook as he tried to grab her waist to move her. Unfortunately, in his embarrassment and nervousness he missed his target and made contact with her wounds. She yelped against him and he stiffened even more.

Kagome slowly opened the eyes and only found darkness. She groaned while pain rapidly spread through her body. Afterwards, she attempted to breathe only to realize that her lungs felt crushed. She gapped against some wet…_fur, _panic settling in.

"Hey- Kagome, Kagome!" Kouga took hold of her hips and flipped her on her back as delicately as she could.

Fear shone in her eyes while she stared at him, tears forming in her eyes because of the light. "K-kouga," she croaked out.

"Ya alright," he mumbled, relief washing over him.

He would have to make sure she stayed on her back from now on. "Ya were just having a nightmare." At least he thought she was. Was it not why she spoke in her sleep? Though he did not have the first clue as of what she said.

Nightmares. Each time she closed her eyes, they invaded her mind. They became her regular dreams. Shaken by what took place, by the feeling of death she experienced, Kagome let a few tears slide down her cheeks.

As soon as the scent of salty tears hit his nose, Kouga frowned. He was here to protect her, she had no reason to cry. He tilted his body forward and pressed his chin to her forehead. Shyly, he poked his tongue out and licked away her tears. A hue of pink shaded her skin as she felt his warm tongue pressing against her face. She thought it would feel gross, just like when a dog did it, but instead it was almost comforting.

She was injured, away from her friends and in another world. If she could go home, she might feel better sooner. There were so many risks of infections here! However, she noticed she was in agony each time she moved. There was no way she would make it to well. Especially since she was pretty far from it right now.

"Are ya hungry?" he tried.

The rumbles of hunger never stopped echoing in her stomach but she was not even sure she could move enough to feed herself. Nonetheless, she weakly nodded before closing her eyes once more.

Kouga turned his head, desperate to catch a glimpse of Hakkaku or Ginta. It should not take that long to prepare food! He refused to move while she was comfortable and yelling when she was this close to him might startle her. The only option left was to impatiently wait. What he disliked the most was leaving her in pain. Perhaps there was something he could do to relieve some of her suffering. Reaching out for the nearby cloth, he clenched his fingers around it. With a soft touch, he pressed it against her forehead, sponging some of the sweat off.

Her fever remained.

Maybe staying in a stuffy cave constantly was not the way to go but he refused to move her. Even then, she was always cold. He hated to see her shiver but he did not want it to make it worse by giving her more warmth. He never knew what to do! Humans were much more complicated than wolves!

"Hey, hey, Kouga!"

Their whispers filled the cave and he winced. There were not as quiet as they thought they were.

"Get in here," he mumbled.

They ran, their hands wrapped around large leaves. Once they reached their destination, they dropped to their knees. "We didn't know what to bring it in," Ginta said sheepishly as he opened his hands. They wrapped the leaves around large chunks of meat.

He felt like smacking them. "And you think my woman is gonna eat that?"

"W-we cooked it!"

"She can't chew _that_!"

"We weren't sure how to cut it." Usually they used their teeth but he was not sure Kagome was gonna like that. They did try the knives but - the meat was not the best and it fell apart.

Kouga sighed. "Gimme that."

She was awake but her eyes were still closed. He did not think she could do this. Meh, he would help her. It was his duty as her future mate. He took the meat from Ginta and took a huge bite out of it before putting the rest down. Slowly, he masticated and kept going until it felt soft enough. He secured his arms around her waist and lifted her until the top of her head hit his chin.

"Kagome?"

"Hn."

His fingers brushed against her jaw before he grasped it. Delicately, he tilted her head backwards. "Immana need ya to eat a'right?"

She weakly nodded, her eyes never opening.

He lowered himself until their lips met. Heat rose to her face and her eyes flashed wide opened. K-kouga was kissing her? A sudden gasp escaped her and as her lips parted he began feeding her. It was so unexpected to the point that she almost choked. Once she realized what was happening, her heartbeat slowed down and she painfully swallowed. Kouga emptied the rest of the chewed meat in her mouth and once she ate that too, he released her chin. She closed her mouth which applied pressure on his lips.

And he kissed her.

He did not mean to do it. At first, he thought she initiated it, not knowing she tried to close her mouth. It did not last long, barely a few lips movements. When he said she did not respond, he pulled away a bit baffled. It all happened so fast.

His own cheeks were like hers, red.

"We- hm, do ya need more meat?"

Ginta. Hakkaku. He could smell their awkwardness from here and his embarrassment quickly turned to anger. How did he forget they were right there?

"Ju- get some water!"

As Kagome felt the food slowly slid down her throat, she wondered. Did he kiss her or did she imagine it? No, he did not. He was only trying to feed her. Unfortunately for her that did nothing to make her feel less shy. It _felt_ like a kiss. Not that she would not what a kiss felt like since she never kissed anyone. Unless this counted. It did not… did it?

"Do ya want more?" he asked with a straight face.

She shook her head. She might be still hungry but she was a bit overwhelmed with the intimacy they were sharing. She did not doubt Kouga's intentions. True, they met because he kidnapped her but he did not hurt her. He actually _proclaimed_ his love for her. She also knew he was not doing this to get her but to look after her. Under his tough guy heart, he was kind; she saw it. Nonetheless, she was not really used to being this close to a guy in general.

He nodded even though she could not see him.

Actually, he was glad she couldn't. Or else, she would see the grin on his face.

-E-

Darkness was swallowing the sky by the time Kouga emerged from his den. Kagome fell back asleep and though he did not want to leave her alone, he desperately needed to stretch his legs. He wished to run through the forest and feel the wind against his face. It did make him feel guilty that he was not with her right now but he was going crazy.

It was not like she was going to be alone though. He sent one of the women to look after her while he was gone.

What he did not expect was to be stopped on his way outside of the den's territory. A few wolves gathered around him, including Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Whaddaya want?"

"Maybe we should prepare for a mating huh?" Hakkuka said as he elbowed Ginta and wriggled his eyebrows.

Involuntarily, Kouga blushed again. "Idiots. She's sick. I ain't gonna mate her right now."

"Well, soon! I mean, Inuyasha can't take care of her! Whatcha gonna do when she's all better? Let her go?"

"Yeah, you let someone else take care of your mate and she got hurt!"

"You should mate her and protect her!"

They were not wrong. He would not let her be on her own but her friends were not responsible enough. The only time she was truly safe was when she was with him. Maybe it was the way to go. Though he was not sure how he felt about mating her right away. He did _want_ her - a lot. But, they still had enemies out there. She was human; what if they went after her to get to him? As long as she was not his mate, they did not know how important she was to him.

"Maybe."

He ignored their stare before speeding out of the vicinity. He smiled as happiness washed over him. Wind was freedom. He ran so fast the trees were nothing more than a blur around him. He destroyed any obstacles in his way by running right through them. Moments passed and only the moon and the stars were lighting the sky by the time he came to a halt.

Kouga stood proudly on top of a mountain, the wind blowing through his ponytail.

As he stared in the distance, a small tree attracted his attention. It was full of small red berries and it gave him an idea. Those might be somewhat easier for Kagome to eat! Humans liked fruits right? Deciding it was a fantastic idea, he hopped all the way down in one jump. Quickly, he picked at them.

His pace was however suddenly interrupted when he heard voices. His ear twitched. It was not any voices, it was Inutrasha's stupid voice.

Kouga grinned, thinking about how he would march over there, taunting him. He was about to follow the voices when it hit him. This was a bad idea. Kagome said she _belonged_ to another - Inuyasha. If he messed with the mutt, then he would come to his den and try to take Kagome away. If she woke up - she might just go with him. No, not yet, not so soon. She finally seemed comfortable around him and he was not about to let that idiot ruin it.

Instead, he tried to keep a certain distance but went closer. He just wanted to know what they were saying.

"_Maybe you should go see Kagome at her house, Inuyasha."_

_"Keh. If I go, I'm dragging her back and she's gonna complain."_

_"But we don't even know if she made it home safely. Kirara hasn't been back yet!" _

Kirara? Didn't Kagome talk about a friend named like that? _Right_ the cat. Maybe he should send out more people to find her. If even Kagome's pack did not hear from her, she might be badly injured and it would hurt his mate if her friend died.

"_Maybe Kagome told her to wait for her. Maybe she took Kirara to see the damn wolf."_

Kouga smirked; he knew the mutt was jealous and he _should_ be. Kagome was about to be all his. He was mad at him though for not being more worried about Kagome. If he really cared about her he should be trying to find her.

"_We should travel back to Kaede's village and wait for the both of them there."_

_"If she's not back tomorrow, you need to go see if she made it home Inuyasha."_

_"Yeah, yeah._"

One more day. That was all he had before her friends realized Kagome did not make it home. Heck, if Inuyasha followed the trail Kagome used to go home, he might find the blood. That could lead him to the den. He would have some of his men clear the scent away from where they found Kagome. Maybe they would find her friend there too.

When the conversation fell silent, he decided he heard enough for today. He grabbed the berries he had put on the ground and wrapped his hand around them. His woman was going to be happy, he just knew it. At least _he_ knew how to take care of her.

Satisfied with himself, he sped back towards the den.

-E-

"More fur! I'm tired of my woman sleeping on the ground like that!"

Technically, she did lay on a couple of furs but it was not enough. He saw humans' home when he raided them. The rich ones had much padding underneath their beds. Kagome was human and she was going to be his - a princess. She needed the best. Also, he was afraid that being so close to the ground was not helping her sickness.

Since this was going to be her home too, he needed to make it better for her. He usually slept in the main cave, watching over his pack. Things were going to change around here and he would spend more time alone with her. They needed a place to sleep together. He might not need much rest but she did.

So far, he managed to pill up quite an amount of fur; a few more and it would be perfect. The dilemma left was to figure out how to move her without hurting her.

"Her wounds are cleaned."

"Thank you," he said as he nodded in gratitude.

Even if he did it that one time, he knew it was much more comfortable for Kagome to have another woman do it. To be perfectly honest, he was more at ease that way too.

"Do you need anything else, Prince Kouga?"

"Ya can go. I'm sure they're starving out there. I don't have time to scold them if they start acting like idiots."

"I will keep an eye on them."

Hayu was a trusted healer. She was no longer young, her hair turned white and Kouga respected her wisdom. He might be the leader of the pack but it did not mean he needed to ignore those who came before him and possessed more knowledge than he did. One did not become the youngest leader by acting like a fool.

"Here ya go, Kouga."

Two more furs were added and he smiled. "That'll do it." He smoothened them before standing straight. "Keep guard near the den. If ya see anyone ya don't recognize, ya tell me."

Inuyasha must have checked up on Kagome's home by now and found out she was not there. If he had any respect for Kagome, he would be looking for her.

"Did ya find the cat?"

"Some of 'em are still looking."

"Good."

If Kagome asked, at least he had a truthful answer to provide her. He would like to have good news but this was better than nothing. At least he was trying.

Everyone quickly left the area, leaving him alone with Kagome once more. Her bandages were just changed and she wore new clothes. He appreciated her _revealing_ clothes but in a kimono… she was just breathtaking. Unfortunately, she shivered again and guilt swallowed him whole. _Damn it_. He was the one who unwrapped her from the fur, knowing her fever was too high. He simply needed to remind himself he was doing this for her own good.

Maybe - maybe a little trip to the waterfall might be worth moving her.

He rushed outside, glancing around, trying to find Hayu. Once he spotted her, he ran her way. "Her fever is high ain't it?"

She nodded.

"Will it hurt her if I take her to the waterfall?"

Hayu sighed and pondered carefully. "Perhaps if another carried her with you?"

He growled involuntarily. Kouga was not too keen on the idea of another man touching his woman but - if it was in her best interest he could hardly refuse. He nodded. "Thank you."

Kouga turned around and marched towards the gathered pack. "Ginta, Hakkaku, ya comin' with me." They were a bit clumsy at time but he trusted them. They would not do anything inappropriate to his Kagome.

They hurried to their feet and followed behind their leader. Kouga seemed in a bad mood, then again they would be too if their woman was sick and maybe dying.

Both of them trailed behind him as he leaded them inside the den. "We're gonna move here to the waterfall."

"Aren't we gonna hurt her?"

"Her fever is too damn high. She needs to cool off," he tried to hide some of her the concern in his voice but he failed.

They nodded and quickly circled Kagome. "Ya gonna grab her shoulder and you her feet." He would be the one holding her to her waist.

Once everyone was positioned they took their time to lift her up the ground and as slowly as possible they headed outside. Kouga made sure to watch her and listen to her breathing. As long as she remained asleep, he would be happy. It meant they were handling her carefully enough to not disturb her.

Moments passed and then finally made it. They all stepped into the water and lowered her into it. When Ginta and Hakkaku released Kagome, Kouga was the only thing keeping her afloat.

"Go, I'll call ya in a while."

Even if she might dislike it, he would keep her in the water as long as possible. He was not going to move her like this again and he would make sure her temperature was way down before pulling her out.

Ginta and Hakkaku threw concerned glances in direction of their sister before obeying their leader. They trusted Kouga to look after her. Though they wondered who was going to look after him. He spent day and night watching over Kagome and it showed he was tired - not physically but emotionally. They prayed Kagome would get better soon.

Kouga guided them near the edge and pushed his body against the edge. He lifted her up, wincing in fear that he might open her wounds and wove his arms around her waist. Gently, he lowered the both of them until everything but her head was in the water. Their disturbance of the water created small waves, some of them hitting her lips. It seemed to shake her out of her sleep as she stirred in his hold.

"Cold," she mumbled, seeking warmth.

Kagome inclined her head forward, leaning into his chest. Her actions made him glad he was not wearing his armor - she might not have found it as comfortable.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I gotta do this Kagome."

He was not sure she understood him since all she did was bring her hands against his chest. He lowered a hand to her back and gently stroke it underneath the water. Maybe the gesture would be enough to bring her comfort.

Kagome was edgy, feeling _wet_. Arms held her up but she did not feel safe. She dared to open her eyes, tan skin welcoming her into the waking world. A familiar blush sneaked up on her cheeks but she did not pull away. Instead, she was busied herself with the realization that she was submerged in water. Panic wanted to fill her and yet she fought to remain calm.

"Kouga?"

He looked down at his woman, guilty. "You got a fever."

Kouga lowered his free hand and wiped the sweat forming on her forehead before running his fingers through her damp bangs and pushing them out of the way. He wished he could dunk her head underwater too; it probably was not too comfortable to have her hair soaked with sweat. Unfortunately, he did not trust that she would hold her breath and was afraid she would lose her calm. For now, this would have to do.

"B-but I'm c-cold," she stuttered.

She found that not much made sense at the moment. She wanted warmth and nothing else. She felt as if someone threw her in a bath of ice and she did not like it. She teeth was chattering and her body was trembling. Why was he keeping her in the water? She wanted the fur, the heat.

He decided to wrap both of his arms around her, securely holding her. "You're gonna be okay. Immana look after ya."

"Inuyasha," she blurred out.

He tried not to be frustrated, he really did but that one little word was enough to hurt him. He ignored it in the hopes that she would not repeat it. Mutt face was not the one looking after her - heck he had a hard time _looking for _her. When would she realize he was no good for her? She enjoyed his touch, he knew she did! Why else would she let him so close to her?

Kagome tilted her head backwards. Did he not hear her? "W-where's Inu-yasha?" He was searching for her, she knew he was.

"He ain't here. Couldn't find him."

_Liar_. He found him. Even when he was not looking for him.

She swallowed hard, her heart sinking in her chest. Inuyasha was a good tracker - he always found her. Days went by since her incident, she was certain of it. How did he not find her by not? Kouga was as hot headed as Inuyasha but he would not keep her his prisoner. At least, not again. Plus, Inuyasha would have ravaged through the place with his sword.

Did that really mean he was not looking for her?

"I'm here," he said, nuzzling against the side of her head.

He might hate Inuyasha but he did not want his Kagome to be upset. He promised to take his mind away from that worthless mutt. As long as she was with him, she would be happy.

His nose tickled her but she was too weak to smile. The more he pushed his nose into her hair, the closer he got to her. In the end, she found her face pressed into the crook of his neck. Involuntarily she found herself breathing in heavily. He smelled salty and like the forest. It was nice, especially since she thought nobody in this era was very dedicated to hygiene. She liked it. His scent was comforting and involuntarily, the tears spilled from her eyes.

She did not know why but she was dying to cry.

Every time she moved, pain jolted through her body. Each time she tried to find rest, she was haunted by bad memories. Nothing brought her relief. Not even this. Kagome knew he was doing this to help her but the coldness of the water only increased her agony. Only his warmth was like a balm over the wounds. She barely knew him but she was certain that if he let go, she would fall apart. She feared death and this was not the way she wanted to go. Not like this, not in such much pain while she was so far from home and all the people she loved.

Her pain vibrated through him and he had to close his eyes to keep himself calm. He did not know what to do to comfort a crying woman; he had no experience in that field. Instead, he tried to hold her back and let her do what she felt was right. When she tightened her hold, he did the same. When she sniffled, he caressed her hair. Having her body against his felt right and he never wanted to let her go.

He meant it when he told her wolves mated for life and that she was his.

But he was also hers and he did not think he would love anyone as much as he loved her.

-E-

Kouga stayed in the water with Kagome until the sun disappeared and re-appeared over the horizon. By then, her tears seized and exhaustion claimed her. He held her unconscious body in his arms until he was certain she was no longer warm. Ginta and Hakkaku helped him bring her back and then he laid her on the furs. Now that he was staring at her in her wet clothes, he wondered if it was a good idea.

What if her fever came back and she had wet clothes on? That could not be good.

He already saw her naked when he changed her bandages - this was an emergency situation too. It was not like he was doing it to get an eyeful. She was his woman and he respected her.

Nervous, he grabbed one of the kimonos off of the floor and put it on the furs. He inhaled deeply, calming himself. He fumbled with her obi, unusual clumsy, until finally the knot came apart. Slowly, he parted her kimono and revealed her body to his eyes once more. He barely caught a peek before he raised his gaze and stared at the rock wall. Void of his sight, he patted the edge of the fur until he found her kimono again. He slipped her out it, never grabbing anything but her arms. He tugged at the kimono, pulling it from underneath her before tossing it on the ground.

Forced to look down, he focused his eyes on her face as he lifted her upper body to slide the new kimono underneath her. Once that was done, he put her arms into the sleeves. Evilly, her large breasts bounced every time he moved her. He kept his gaze away as best as he could but it was difficult when they were tempting him. He leaned over her to carefully tuck in the other arm and he felt _them_ brush against his naked chest.

Blood rushed through his groin and for a moment, he did not move. Despite the amount of deep breath he took, he did not relax. His breathing was hitched, his heart pumping fast as he retracted his body. It was with trembling hands that he closed the purple kimono and tied it up as rapidly as his hands allowed him. Once he was done, he dropped to the ground.

His fur felt tight around his waist and he leaned his head backwards, exhaling deeply.

She was so beautiful it hurt.

He ran his palm over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. He was not a little pup. He had seen a woman's body before. Maybe he never _touched_ one, but he saw one. This was nothing new. As he filled his mind with different thoughts, he felt himself go limp. Grateful, he rose to his feet once more.

While he looked away she changed her position. She was closer to the wall, leaning on her side. He did not know if it was a good idea but she seemed comfortable and it was all he was asking for. Although, perhaps he could help keep her in that position. To be honest, he rested more while being around her than he ever did before. He liked it and it was becoming routine. He did not let doubt settle in as he laid down beside her.

He hovered his hand over her body a bit longer before deciding to put it on her hip. He kept a distance between their bodies out of respect but it did not prevent him from putting his other arm over his head to let him tangle his fingers through her hair. He gently massaged and waited for her usual reaction.

Quietly, she moaned and he smiled.

She mumbled again and once more, he could not make out the words.

Somewhere in his mind, an evil voice was telling him she was looking for Inuyasha, saying his name in her sleep. He ignored that voice. Instead he trailed his fingers along her hip, tickling the skin. She shivered and he sighed. He would give his life for her and he would do anything to make her happy.

He did not want her to belong to someone else. He wanted her to be his and be happy instead of sad.

He _hated_ Inuyasha.

-E-


	4. Lost and Found

**A/N:** So I wasn't going to update. Because I'm going to France tomorrow for two weeks, but this happened anyway. I figured I'd post it because I doubt I'll have any internet access where I'm going (or at least not on *my* laptop).

Thank you for all the reviews guys, seriously. You were all so nice and kind and it really inspired me this chapter. I _wanted_ to be able to finish it to thank all of you! :)

Not beta-ed as usual. But this one wasn't writing in the middle of the night like the others, so hopefully it's a bit better, ahah.

**Enamored**

**Chapter 4: Lost and Found**

His nose twitched and his face cringed while he kept his eyes closed. It seemed that having Kagome in his arms was very comfortable and that he fell pray to the warmth and rested. Her little body was still firmly pressed against his and he felt her lips brushing against his chest. Their legs were tangled and his hand was fully resting on her bare hip. When he gave a gently squeeze, she leaned into him and he stiffened.

He thought it was a good idea last night. He was no longer certain.

Being asleep would make this whole situation easier - why did he wake up? Then, he felt that familiar, annoying presence again.

"Ya better not be in here watching me sleep with my woman."

Ginta squealed and Hakkaku's eyebrows dropped as he feared Kouga's reaction. "Well - ya told us to come see you if we found the cat…"

His eyes flashed opened. "Where is it?" Kagome was going to be thrilled. "Is it alive?"

"Barely," Ginta admitted. "Hayu is taking care of it."

"We ain't gonna tell her yet. If it dies, I don't need my woman even more upset, got it?"

They both nodded.

Now, he was going to have to go check it out by myself. Though he had to admit he had no desire to leave Kagome's side. Plus, he was not sure she would appreciate it. She seemed rather at ease all cuddle up against him and he did not want to disturb her rest.

"We can take care of it if ya want," Hakkaku suggested when Kouga did not move.

He sighed. "It's my job." He took Kagome as his woman and she became pack. It also meant that all her friends were under his protection as well. Also, he wanted to make sure everyone understood how important it was to save the cat.

Reluctantly, he pulled his legs away from her and then lifted his body on top of hers. He made sure not to touch her and disturb her and then, hopped on the other side, landing on his feet. He was about to walk past Ginta and Hakkaku when they stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Ya might wanna wait."

Kouga arched an eyebrow. "Why would I wanna do that?"

Their cheeks colored red and they avoided his gaze. "Mm, well - " Awkwardly, and lacking the ability to use words, they pointed at his crotch.

He looked down at himself only to see a bulge in his fur. _Fuck_. "What are you two still doing in here? Go wait outside," he barked.

They did not need to be told twice and ran to obey. Although, it was difficult to hold back a few giggles as they did so and Kouga heard them. "Idiots," he mumbled.

He crouched down on the floor which hid his problem slightly. Really, it was to be expected; his Kagome was a beautiful woman and she spent the night touching him and tangling up with him. What other reaction was he supposed to have?He was not ashamed that his woman could get him _like this_.

Kouga took a few deep breaths, looking away from Kagome, until finally he settled down. He did though softly caress her cheek before leaving. He would appoint someone to stand in front of the den's entrance while he was gone. Her fever was not back yet but it did not mean she was healed. If anything happened while he was gone, he wanted to be informed of it.

While he exited the den, Kagome stirred from her sleep, feeling suddenly cold. She tried to reach out for warmth, like she did many times during the night but all she found was emptiness. She painfully opened her eyes on to see she was laying on fur. Yesterday was nothing more than a hazy memory in her mind. Although she felt like she went in… water? Her hair did feel wet and heavy.

A wince of pain escaped her as she turned to lay on her back. She choked up, trying to take deep breaths of air. Each time she inhaled it was as if a fire was igniting inside her lungs. The agony brought tears to her eyes and she felt her cold tears roll down her cheeks. It did not help that she felt alone and vulnerable. Her heart was ready to burst when suddenly the sound of footsteps caught her attention.

"Sis?"

"Sis, are ya a'right?" another voice asked.

She saw Ginta's hair as he kneeled by her side. "Is your fever back? Do ya want some water?"

"We could go get Kouga for you."

It broke their hearts to see her like this and not just because she was Kouga's woman. Kagome saved their lives and they grew to really like her in the short amount of time they knew her. Protecting her was also their duty and they owed her that much.

_Kouga_. Right, he was the one who looked after her since her injury. How many days went by? She was unable to keep track since she was constantly in and out of it. What about Inuyasha? Did he not worry about her? Last time he easily found her, why did he wait so long? What if - what if something happened to her friends which was why they did not come get her?

She was aware that she was not in danger; Kouga's pack would not harm her. Nonetheless, she needed her friends. She wanted to make sure they were safe and she wanted them to know she was well and alive.

"She's not talkin'! Maybe we oughta get Kouga."

When Ginta was about to get up, Kagome lifted her hand to cover his with it. He tensed for a brief instant before approaching his face to hers. "Sis? You gonna be okay?"

She managed to weakly nod. There was no need to bother Kouga - or anyone else for that matter. It was not as if anyone could help her. She could feel the tight bandages around her chest and she knew it was probably the best this era had to offer. Staying still and avoiding brusque movements was her safest option.

"T-thank y-ou," she croaked out.

"Anything for you, little sis."

At this point, she was fairly certain that she would never get used to the nickname. She shyly smiled back before closing her eyes once more; the light was hurting them.

"If ya get hungry, let me know. Kouga'll come feed ya again."

Feed her? She _ate_? Her heart began to pummel as she did her best to try and remember. It was all vain however since she had no recollection of the event. And what exactly did he mean by 'Kouga fed her'? How exactly did he do that?

When Ginta noticed a certain nervousness surround her, he offered her an apologetic smile. "I guess you humans don't do that a lot. Really, he had no other way to feed you."

Well… that did absolutely nothing to calm her down.

Eyes closed, she kept repeating to herself. She was stuck between wanting to know and wishing to be kept in the dark. It did not hurt her and that was the most important part right? He was clearly devoted to her recovery, then again how could he not be? According to him she was his _woman_. The thought made her blush. Kouga was… _something_. It would be a lie to say that his intense love declaration did not even swoon her a little.

It was _romantic_. She did not need to love him to admit that. If only Inuyasha could do the same.

Suddenly, a loud curse was heard from outside and Ginta winced. "I hope it's not the cat."

_The cat?_ Were they talking about Kirara? It killed her that it hurt to speak; she had so many questions.

Ginta ran outside knowing that whatever pissed off Kouga, he had a good news for him. The more Kagome was awake, the better it was right?

"Oi, is everything a'right?"

Kouga was standing near the fire, covered in blood that was surely not his. "I _slipped_." He tried to get a better look of the wounds, never thinking the blood that stained the ground was slippery. Now he smelled like a fucking cat. _Great_.

"Oh. Hm, Kagome's awake," he said hoping to brighten Kouga's mood.

Kouga stilled and stopped trying to remove the blood from his body. "She hurt?"

"She ain't talking but…" He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure if he should tell Kouga the rest. It was no big deal and Kagome herself confirmed that she was not hurt but - well… Kouga probably wanted to know. "She was crying."

No wasting another moment, Kouga walked past Ginta and walked towards the den. He did not miss how Kagome's scent seemed to cover Ginta but he thought nothing of it. He watched over her. There was nothing to it. As he entered his den, Hakkaku came out of it.

"She still awake?"

"I think so. I mean her eyes are closed but I think she's awake."

He made sure to be quiet while he approached her. Regardless of how careful he was being, her eyes snapped open when he was near. He remained silent until he was right beside her. Then, he bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Kouga frowned; she was warmer than when he left this morning. Beneath him, Kagome was unable to control her blush. Did- did he just _kiss_ her?

"I'm gonna have the guys bring you some food and water."

Kagome was actually unable to tell if she was hungry or not. Perhaps it was because the pain numbed her body. Her throat did feel scorched and dry though.

"How ya feeling? Still in pain?"

She nodded. She did not think it was ever going to go away. What wouldn't she give to be back home in her own bed or the hospital.

"We found your friend." She was in a pretty bad shape but they stopped the bleeding. Since he was almost certain she would not die he felt like Kagome deserved a good news.

Her friend? _Inuyasha? Sango? Miroku? Shippo?_

"Kirara right?"

Oh - _oh my god!_ Relief washed over her and it felt like a weight was taken off of her shoulders. Kirara most likely saved her life out there and _also_ she was one of Sango's best friends. Kagome would never forgive herself if she died because of her.

"Tha-nk you."

"Hey, you don't gotta talk. Don't hurt yourself. I love you Kagome, I just wanna see ya happy."

As soon as he said _love_, she felt the atmosphere thicken and become edgy once more. He was not a bad guy and he was helping her, plus nobody ever really flirted or hit on her before. She did not know the first thing about letting someone down gently. She saw no reason to hurt Kouga's feelings; he did nothing to hurt her.

He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. When he first brought her in he did not know much about her. He did like that she could see the jewel shards but it was not why he decided he would mate her. She was beautiful, strong and loyal. There was no way he could find a better woman than her. Her fingers were crisped but he assumed it was because it was difficult for her to move.

Kouga felt closer to her now more than ever. Unfortunately, Kagome was unconscious during most of their moments. How was she supposed to realize how much he truly loved her?

-E-

His heart was beating fast, the speed of it bringing him pain. He was sitting in the well house, his back pressed against the well. He wanted to go through - he _had_ to go through but he could not bring himself to move. Kagome's mother's words echoed in his mind and refused to stop haunting him. '_Are you grabbing something for Kagome?' _ When he remained dumbfound, she even added more. '_She hasn't been home in so long but I know how you are all working so hard.' _That part was the worse. How could Kagome not have been home?

She left, upset at him, he saw her! He watched her fly away on Kirara's back.

Oh yeah, Kirara. Who also was nowhere to be found.

He did not understand what could have happened. Kagome might not be the most powerful miko but she could somewhat handle herself. And she was with Kirara. The only person who could have taken them was - _Naraku_.

That was why he _needed_ to go through the well and search for her. Yet, he was stuck. Tears were prickling his eyes and his hands were bawled into fists. He _should_ have gone looking for her the first day, as soon as Kirara did not come back. Why did he not? Because he was too proud, because he rather be angry at her?

He knew nothing happened between Kagome and Kouga. She was not that kind of girl. It was not his fault the wolf upset him regardless. She did not understand - she was human. He was a dog and - goddamn it, she was pack. She was his. _He blushed_. Sort of. Just like Sango, Miroku and Shippo were his. They were under his protection. He should have made sure she came home safely.

He was a freaking idiot.

Inuyasha took another deep breath and finally rose to his feet. He could not waste any more time. If she was truly kidnapped by Naraku, there was no telling what he would do to her. He needed to find her before he hurt her.

Pain and guilt swirled inside of him as he jumped through the well, alone.

He hoped he would never have to do that again. It was not right without Kagome by his side.

-E-

To everyone's surprise, night came and Kagome remained awake. Granted, she did not do anything more than lay down but it was improvement and it made Kouga feel great. He knew he could take care of his woman and this was the proof. He was obviously worthy of her. His only problem left was Inuyasha. Mere days ago she claimed to be his and he doubted that fact changed. Especially since she called _him_ that mutt's name a couple of times.

Nonetheless, he waited before bringing up the subject. He did not need her more upset or trying to move. He also had no desire to have her slap him again. Once was plenty enough.

Kagome did not eat but she did drink plenty of water. He figured that now that she was awake, she could feel the pain when she ate. Maybe once she would be out of it again, he would feed her. Somehow he doubted she would let him do it while she was awake. Not that what he did was wrong.

She did not speak much, instead she remained in the bed, looking at the ceiling. The silence _killed_ him and nearly drove him inside but she was sick and he was trying to respect her wishes. Instead, he busied himself by tapping his feet against the ground or straightening the fur of his tail - all of it boring him beyond belief. How was she able to just _lay_ there? He took another deep breath, keeping himself calm.

He missed her presence near his body, he missed holding her in his arms.

Meanwhile, Kagome was concerned.

Kouga was not speaking and she was not sure if she should try and ask her questions even if it hurts. She dared to tilt her head to the side and the moment she did so, he looked at her, hope gleaming in his eyes.

"I-nuy-asha," she managed to say.

And Kouga's heart shattered. Every single god damn time. Fuck the mutt, fuck the claim she thought he had on her. His bottom lip quivered in anger and pain but he concealed the emotions from his eyes.

"He ain't here. I haven't seen him. I found ya and he was nowhere near and hasn't been since I found ya."

_Oh_.

Then it crossed her mind; he might be busy. Busy with Kikyo. He was known to disappear for a while when she came along. Who knew how long he might leave if he thought she was home. Days? She remembered the fire in his eyes when she was injured and he tried to save her. Naraku took her away and she felt like a part of Inuyasha died. Pain wrapped itself around her heart and each beat brought her agony. She should not think about this. It was not like they made each other any promises. It was not as if they were in a relationship.

What was the nature of her relationship with Inuyasha?

He insulted her and she kept coming back for me. He did save her too though. Oh, and well, she enjoyed his company. Inuyasha might be angry very often but she knew it was only because he was hurt. He lost his mother and father and his brother tried to kill him over a _sword_. His life was not easy - yelling was how he dealt with his emotions. She saw another side of him the night he became human.

Inuyasha had a lot of good in him. She did not want to lose him, she wanted him in her life.

She could not say she loved him - not truly. It was not because she did not want to but mostly because she never loved anyone before. Actually, Inuyasha was the first boy she got close to and all of this was new to her. They were together all the time; was that not what made couples… couples? They never kissed or anything but - oh god, the thought alone was bringing heat to her cheeks.

A different scent filled the room and Kouga sniffed. It was coming from Kagome.

He got closer to her, unexpectedly nuzzling his nose in her hair. If she could have found her voice, she would have yelped.

"K-kouga?" she tried.

He did not stop however, the scent intriguing him. His woman never smelled like that before. It took a few more minutes for him to realize where the spiciness in her scent came from; she was aroused. He arched an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his face as he pulled away. Moments ago she was upset about Inuyasha and now she was turned on? It was faint but it was there. He cupped her cheek and brought her face closer to his.

She held her breath as she watched his mouth come closer to hers. Her face tingled and then it happened - except not how she expected it. Instead of him kissing her lips, he brushed them against the corner of her mouth. They were warm, moist, much different from her own. Suddenly, her face was fire as all that remained was a puff of his breath against her skin. Her lips were trembling and she could take her eyes off of him.

He on the other hand was smiling. Her scent of arousal _definitively_ increased. He did not want to push her or force himself on her but the temptation was too great. He did refrain himself from kissing her though he did get a small hint of her lips. He could hardly wait for her to be back on her feet so that he could show her what a real youkai could do.

Kouga loved the startled expression on her face and chuckled as he brushed her bangs away from her eyes. "You're my woman Kagome, I told ya. I'm gonna look after you."

He claimed his love many times and he was a bit _pushy_ but - he never did anything this forward. The most he ever did was put his arm around her waist which in itself really was not a romantic gesture. This was a kiss - a semi-kiss. Oh god, did it count as her first kiss? Her first kiss… no, this was not how she pictured it. It was supposed to be romantic and blow her away. She was not supposed to be stuck in the Feudal Era, feeling like dying… it was all wrong.

It did not take Kouga very long to sense the disturbance in her scent.

_Shit_. "Kagome?" He was not trying to make her mad or sad - or nothing. That was why he did not actually _kiss_ her. He could have… she was his woman. And really she might have slapped him but she never said no. She always only said there was sort of someone else.

Was she really going to be mad at him?

"I was just trying to make y-"

"It-s fine."

Maybe her usual reaction would be to get really mad and scream loudly but not today. First of all, she did not have the energy to do that. Second of all, she was most likely more embarrassed than anything else and shocked - oh and in terrible pain. She might have managed to stay awake today but it was costing her everything. She was dizzy, light headed and she wished the soreness would transform to numbness to prevent it from increasing her torment.

He felt like shit.

When they woke up, she was as much tangled with him as he was with her. She kept talking about Inuyasha but she had a fever… And he took good care of her. He loved her. He thought if he could show her he was a better male than Inuyasha, she would come to her senses and pick him.

"Shit, Kagome. I didn't wanna hurt you. I love you," he said almost sheepishly.

She managed to look into his eyes, recognized an emotion close to pain. He was even avoiding her glance. She knew he meant no wrong and really she owed him for everything he was doing to her.

He buried his face in his hand, ashamed. He liked to think that he was skilled when it came to this sort of stuff and he had a lot going for himself, perhaps just no in a human's perspective. What did Inuyasha have? He was a hanyou with no family, he had no place to call his own. Kouga was a prince, the youngest leader of the wolves' pack. He was strong, fast and handsome. Kagome should want a full youkai like him.

Was he not acting _right_? What did human females want? He was ashamed to admit the only time he was around one before her was during _meal time_. But he changed, because he loved her and she made him see that humans could be good and loyal, not just worthless.

Did that not mean anything to her? He changed his entire lifestyle!

Out of the blue, he was surprised by a soft touch. Her little finger grazed against his, soothing him.

His aura was driving her insane, almost suffocating her. Inuyasha had felt sorry many times but it was nothing like this. Kouga was dwelling in remorse. It was not like he hurt her or anything. He was about to make her feel bad for her reaction. She had to do something and this was about as much movements as she could manage.

"Not mad," she whispered.

A smile tugged at his lips and he nodded. He fully grabbed her hand and covered it with both of his. "I'll wait for ya to realize ya love me, Kagome. But I'll always take care of ya, no matter what."

If she could have, she would have rolled her eyes. _There was the cocky, confident Kouga she sort of knew_. She saw him mad, she saw him full of pride. She never saw him sad or hurt before. Then again, she only met him today… or rather… oh she was confused in her days and thinking made her heart hurt. She was simply going to be thankful she was no longer drowsy.

"Do ya wanna eat?"

Now that he knew she was not mad at him, his hopes were up again. Perhaps she was never mad to being with, maybe she acted nervous and angry because it was expected of her. She did _touch_ him to comfort him. Strangers did not do that. He did not grab another female's hand simply because she was upset. He only did that to his Kagome. And she just did it to him.

"It's cooked meat! I made sure they did it the way ya like."

She truly had no appetite but she supposed that eating was required if she wanted to gain some strength back. If she ever wanted to make it home again, she needed food. Kagome offered Kouga weak nod and he nearly bolted out of the den to get her some meat.

Kagome rose her shaky arm and touched the corner of her mouth with her fingertips before dropping her arm back by her side. Her heart skipped a beat. She thought if she was going to kiss anyone anytime soon it would be Inuyasha. Instead, it was Kouga. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she recalled the feeling of his lips on her. Warm and yet rough. It almost left her wondering what it was like to truly kiss someone. She was so set on Inuyasha she did not consider anyone else - she would _not_.

And she prayed her stomach would stop tightening the way it was.

Kouga returned very rapidly, the scent of food invading her nostrils. She thought he would put a piece of meat in her hand but instead, he pressed it to her lips. He- he was going to feed her? Slight uneasiness filled her but after a moment, she parted her lips. He slid the food in her mouth and she closed it once his fingers were out of the way. Then it happened. She tried to chew but the meat was not soft like the one she was used to in her time. She groaned, pain jolting through her. _No, no, no_. Now that the food was in her mouth, the delicious juices sliding down her throat, she _was_ hungry.

She wanted it.

The salty scent of tears attacked his nose and he frowned. He was right, she _was_ unable to chew on her own. He did try to cut them up as small as he could but it was apparently not enough, it needed to be _chewed_. It was no surprise really; even though she was doing better today, she still struggled to speak. She did hit herself on the head. Some injuries were too be expected. He fucked hated those goddamn birds.

"Here," he said as he approached his fingers to her mouth once more.

Bafflement hit her as he pushed his digits against her lips, almost forcing her to open her mouth. When she did, he retrieved the piece of meat and pulled it out. She blinked, hoping he would explain. Instead, she laid there as he shoved the very same piece in his own mouth and began to chew. W-what was he doing? Was food precious? Were they running out and he was afraid it was going to be wasted?

He reduced it to a paste as best he could and once it felt like it would go down her throat without her even having to masticate he lowered himself so that their noses touched. "Open ya mouth."

_What_.

"I'm gonna feed ya."

What in the world was he trying to pull off? He _chewed_ that food! She was not going to eat it! She kept her mouth firmly closed, her lips glued together so tightly they were turning white.

"Ya need to eat. Ya know you're hungry."

Yes, she was but she was not _that_ hungry.

He lifted one of his hands and took hold of her chin. "I'm only trying to help. I want ya to get better, Kagome."

She felt her guts twist and a wave of nauseous washed over her. If she was to do this - oh god she could _not_ do this. Out of her own will or not, she was not sure, her lips opened and Kouga wasted no time. He put his mouth on hers and filled it with the meat paste. She gulped, doing her best not to throw up. She quickly swallowed it while his lips were still against her, afraid that if she did not get it over with quickly, it would end up badly.

Kagome waited as it made its way down her throat, like something was caught in it, until finally, she could no longer sense it. Then, she went to close her mouth with his lips still on hers. He did the same.

This one was a kiss, a real kiss. Except her eyes were wide open and - _wait_ so were his. He did not intend for this to happen. He almost looked as shocked as she did.

He held his breath as he pulled away and quickly rose to his feet. He did not say a word, instead he went to sit right by the entrance of the den, gazing outside. Fuck, Kagome was too innocent for her own good and she did not know how to stop her emotions from showing through her scent. She liked it, he smelled it. Yet, the first time when he was actually trying to kiss her, she got upset.

Woman made no sense to him.

Kagome somewhat curled up into a ball, at least as good of one as the pain would allow her, many emotions rushing through her. What was happening? She had no feelings for Kouga. She stood in between him and Inuyasha because she did not think he deserved to die. She _barely_ knew him and only called him a friend because of everything he did for her. Now that man, that wolf, had kissed her twice in about ten minutes.

Neither time she got upset, neither time she flipped out.

She loved Inuyasha. Why did she blush when Kouga kissed her? It was not fair. The one she wanted to kiss was not here and now, she was stuck with Kouga. Persistent, head over heels in love with her Kouga. She meant what she said before her little incident. Kouga was much nicer and he did treat her right. Both men were different, they could not be compared.

However, the one who had her heart was Inuyasha.

-E-

Sango was leading the group, her heart pounding. Kirara was all she had left from her people, her family - _her father_. She was her best friend and she grew up with her. It was also her link to her brother. She needed to find her - alive. And Kagome, they were close and she cared for the girl a lot. There were not many people Sango could trust and Kagome was one of them. Naraku already took everything from her and she would not let him take Kirara and Kagome too.

"Are you certain Naraku is behind this?" Miroku inquired as he inspected their surroundings.

"Ya. Who else would have taken Kagome? She's not stupid enough to have gone somewhere. If she said she was going home, then she was going home."

They faced Naraku a few times and they lost - or actually the coward ran away but not this time. Inuyasha failed Kikyo and he refused to fail Kagome as well.

"Do we know where to find him?" Miroku hated Naraku just as much as anybody else but he did not find it wise to head into battle without a plan. Also, he was not sure this was the work of Naraku. He would have revealed his intentions by now, he always did. What was the point of capturing Kagome and Kirara without demanding anything?

"I'm gonna spot his scent as soon as we come across it."

"What if we do not?"

"We will! _He _took them."

"Blood."

Inuyasha's ears perked up and his heart stopped beating. "What?"

He left Miroku behind and rushed to catch up to Sango. When he reached her side, he looked down where she was glancing. Blood. Lots of it, tainting the grass. He dropped to his nose and shoved his nose right down into it. At first, he experienced relief but then guilt, a lot of it.

"It's not Kagome's." He paused. "It's Kirara's."

Sango's eyes filled with tears and she found herself choking up. "Any other scent?"

He shook his head. There was nothing that stood out. Kirara already carried many scents because of all their battles. They sort of all mingled together.

"Then we keep going," Sango said as she walked past Inuyasha.

She would find her friends, no matter the cost. Nobody else would die because of Naraku.

-E-


	5. Small Steps

A/N: I am not dead. You are all shocked right? I know. If I say one more time, sorry I suck at updating and school is a bitch, I will feel like a broken record. Instead, I will say thank you to those who put up with me and still read my stuff. You're awesome.

Also, this is not beta. And I am very tired.

Second also, on my profile you can find a little section where I say, Wanna know what I'm up to? And there's the % of completion of each chapter and the date that number was updated.

**Enamored**

**Chapter 5: Small Steps**

Many glances were thrown in Kouga's way but he seemed oblivious to them. Instead, he kept tapping his fingers against a rock which made quite an annoying sound. Nobody dared to say anything, especially since Kouga appeared to be rather edgy. His aura was off and he would not stop shaking his foot. Everyone gave him space, knowing it was better to be away then close by when he was like this. After a while however, people became concerned with his state of mind. He was not keeping up with his tasks and did not leave his spot. Most did not dare to interrupt him but Ginta chose to risk it.

"K-kouga?"

"Hm?" He never raised his head.

"Ya alright?"

"Yeah."

One, two, three, one, two. Tapping his fingers was the only way he kept himself in control. He locked himself out of his own den. Kagome was in there, sleeping and he thought she might prefer to be alone. After the kiss…_kiss_…it was a kiss. Yes. It was. After the kiss, she did not react, she did not say anything. Her aura did speak for her though; she wanted to be left alone. It did not please him. She was his woman and he took care of her. He was supposed to make her happy, not sad. Why would she be upset by a kiss?

Nonetheless, he respected her wishes.

And it was driving nuts.

He was waiting for a sign coming from the den, anything that would tell him she was awake. She was still injured; she would need help once she was up.

Though at this point, he wondered if she would want his help. Her emotions were all over the place and he was not exactly sure what she wanted from him. He loved her, he would take care of her and he knew she was aware of that. Perhaps the pain and the fact that she was missing her friends was making the whole situation more complicated than it should be.

She did not like it when he kissed her.

_Then_, she liked it. A lot.

The scent of her arousal still filled his nostrils as if it was happening all over again.

"Do you need some more meat for Sister? We can get some."

"I got some a'ready."

As if he would fail her.

Suddenly, everyone's ears twitched as they heard stirring coming from the den. Then, they all stared at Kouga, waiting for his reaction: it was not a happy one. "Don't ya all got somethin' else to do?" he snapped.

He was under enough pressure as it was and he did not need all of them watching and observing his every movement. He would take care of his woman his own way without anyone's help or advice. He rose to his feet, without forgetting to grab the meat he put aside for her, and headed towards the den. Considering her swings of emotions he was not exactly sure what her reaction would be and he decided to be careful. After all, she was injured and he did not want her to get upset and worsen her condition.

Once he was inside, he saw her half sitting up, her face all crisped up in pain. The sight alone was enough to make him rush by her side. He put the meat down carelessly and quickly put an arm around her waist to help her sit up. He decided to keep his arm there as support since she seemed too weak to keep herself up. "Ya alright?"

Instead of answering him, she stared right ahead with a light pink blush decorating her pale cheeks. At first, in all of her confusion and pain, she forgot about what happened. Now that he was awfully close to her face, it was hard to forget. She could feel his warm breath on her arm and she could imagine his icy blue eyes locked on her. She could not turn around to look at him. Also, considering the incident that led to a kiss, she imagined it was best if she kept distance between their mouths. _Kiss_. They _kissed_. Her _first_ kiss was with a wolf she barely knew - in a den. Her first kiss was not with Inuyasha. It was not with someone she loved.

At least… Kouga was a nice guy right? Granted he was eating humans up until yesterday but nonetheless… he did kidnap her then care for her right? Yes. He was a good person.

Since she felt his eyes were still on her, she gave him a non verbal answer by nodding her head. Her answer caused him to reluctantly remove his arm. At least she did not seem angry and he was happy about that. Although seeing her like that only made him want to act like a mate even more. If she would let him get closer without getting upset, he would lay by her side and hold her in his arms. He knew it was somewhat cold for her in the den even with the fire and the furs: she was only human. His body heat could be useful for her.

Though, he suffered her wrath before and he was not willing to risk it again. His woman might be human but she was feisty.

Since there was only one thing left for him to do, he did it. A sigh rolled off his lips as he reached out for the meat. "Ya hungry?"

At his words, her blush deepened even more. He- he would feed her again? If she was not _really_ thinking about the kiss before, she was now. Her immediate reaction was to shake her head which she did a little too intense and brought pain to herself. This should not bother her this much. She loved Inuyasha did she not? An unfortunate accident happened between her and Kouga and it meant nothing. It was her first kiss but it meant nothing.

As he sensed the shift in her aura, Kouga decided not to push the issue. She did not seem hungry and he did not hear her stomach growl like it did before. As long as she was fine, he would leave her be. Although, he still refused to leave her without surveillance. The scent of blood remained strong and if she needed anything he did not want her to hurt herself; he would provide for her.

Kouga sat on the ground with his back against the wall. He kept a certain distance between them which seemed to ease her and get rid of her blush - although he did enjoy that pink color on her cheeks.

At this point, Kagome was not certain if this awkwardness and silence were any better but she was too weak to do something about it. Her mind might be less fuzzy but her skin felt scorching out, even though she was _sure_ she was cold, and her head was pounding. Oh and her stomach. That was still hurting whenever she spoke, moved or breathed though she did not see it getting better anytime soon. Since she decided to keep her strength, especially because she had no intention of eating yet, she closed her eyes and let the darkness and quietness wrap around her.

After a moment, her peacefulness was broken by the sound of loud breathing. She frowned and twitched before she realized it was coming from Kouga. Kagome forced her eyes open and tilted her head to the side as best she could. She managed to catch a glimpse of Kouga - a sleeping Kouga. His eyes were closed and his head was leaning more and more to the left. His chest was rising heavily and his breathing was getting louder and louder.

He looked…exhausted.

Youkais needed rest too: Inuyasha and Shippo were example of that. She was certain they had more strength than humans but nonetheless. Kagome had no idea when she got to Kouga's den but she was certain of one thing: he had been looking after her ever since her arrival. She could recall him sleeping a few times - even though it was nothing more than blurry memories. Perhaps he did not even sleep. He looked after her this entire time without thinking about himself. She knew that unless his tiredness was too much to bear, he would not have fallen asleep.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as her body relaxed. For once, she felt fully comfortable in his presence.

She did her best to pick up a fur from on top of her and threw it over him. She was not sure if he could get cold but she wanted him to get comfortable. He was already on the floor which was probably hard and cold.

It was funny to think that just yesterday morning she acted very differently towards him. He went from her kidnapper to her rescuer in a matter of hours. Also, he kept proving that deep down he was a good guy; he just needed a little push.

Suddenly, her train of thoughts was interrupted when his head slid across the wall until it rested upon her shoulder. At first she jolted but then she relaxed. Perhaps that was better for his head and being his pillow for a while was the least she could do. Although, the closeness only served to remind her of their kiss again and her blush hurried to come back. Nonetheless, she did her best to relax. What he was doing was innocent: he was asleep.

As silence and calm took over she found herself falling back asleep. Her own head ended up resting on his without her even realizing. All she felt was the warm coming from his body and she wondered if all youkais were warm. His warmth was not like the one she got from the fur; it was soothing. A certain dizziness took over, which was not helped by her lack of food and she remembered being moved but not the exact details. All she could tell through her daze and closed eyes was that there was more warmth and she snuggled against it.

Eventually, she fell asleep again.

Kouga however was very awake.

He began waking up when she began falling asleep. At some point, he felt hands touching his arms and he realized it was hers. She sought to _touch_ him. That awakened him pretty fast. He did not think she was fully aware of her actions but he refused to deny her the warmth she searched. Instead, he invited himself by her side and wrapped his arms around her.

That was when, while falling asleep, she shocked him. She _snuggled_ up to his chest.

At this moment, he was not sure he could breathe. He was afraid it would wake her up and she would go away. It was getting harder and harder to let her go each time. Especially when she was giving him good signals. Kissing him, holding him. How was he supposed to resist her? He did not know how it work with humans but this was courting to him. Not only that but as a wolf, the more he got to put his scent on her, touch her, feel her, the more he needed her. He did not think she understood that need.

When he first kidnap her, he did not think she would mean so much to him. He wanted her because she could see the shards and even then he never planned on making her his mate. He wanted a jewel detector. Then, she fiercely fought for her little fox friend and he was taken by her. He never saw a human act like that before. The more she did, the more he cared for her, the more he wanted her as his mate. She might have rejected him earlier on but he was not sure she still felt the same. The way her nose was touching his bare chest told him as much.

He ran his fingers through her hair gently, hoping to provide her with more comfort. He also reminded himself to check her bandages. For the first time, she was fully sleeping on her side and he was afraid she would open up her wounds again. She was barely feeling well and he did not want her situation to get worse; what kind of mate would he be if he could not look after her properly?

His thoughts were interrupted when Kagome moved her face until her lips pressed against his chest. They felt _warm_ and he remembered how much he loved kissing them. He wanted her in his arms like this every night, he wanted to kiss her again. Although, he would not do it, not while she was asleep. Instead, he resisted the temptation by burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her divine scent. That would do for now.

If he could stay by her side, like this, he would be happy.

-E-

Kagome's muscles felt stiff as she managed to open her eyes. She tried to move around but found herself stuck. Since she did not have enough energy, she decided to stop wasting it and instead remained as she was. She did however jolt a bit when she saw she was looking at bare tan skin. _Kouga_. Fortunately, his hold on her prevented her from backing away. His grip on her was strong as if his life depended on it. Her cheeks turned bright red but she remained as she was.

She did not only do it because she was too shy to move or too injured or not even because she felt guilty that he was so tired because of her. She simply did it because, she was still exhausted and as much as it embarrassed to admit it, being this close to him was more comfortable. The pelts of fur were quite soft but they were beginning to feel thin. Because of that, Kagome was able to sense the rock hard ground beneath her and it was killing her back. Kouga was a welcoming…softer surface to rest upon. _She could not believe the thoughts going through her mind_. It was not physical though. She knew she sort of accidentally kissed him but it did not mean she had feelings for him. She loved Inuyasha. Despite the fact that he was often an asshole.

Suddenly, Kouga mumbled and she stiffened. Was he waking up?

Instead of granting her freedom, he tightened his hold on her. Her rear was completely pressed into his crotch, her legs trapped by his and he threw an arm around her waist to keep her close. Unfortunately, this time, he forced her to wake him up. His hand was applying pressure on her injuries and she yelped in pain. The sound woke up him so rapidly that he jolted and nearly rolled off.

Confusion danced in his eyes as he looked around him. It was not until the scent of fresh blood hit his nose that he understood what took place.

"_Shit_."

He rushed back to her side and helped her lay on her back. Blood was beginning to soak through her new bandages and he cursed himself again. Why did he have to ruin it?

"Shit. I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."

He remembered having this great dream where she was living with the pack permanently and she _loved him_, not Inutrasha. The most important part was, Kagome was happy. She was not sad or crying or angry. No, when she was with him, she was happy. And then he had to fuck it up by crushing her wounds in his sleep. Like that was going to make her happy!

The good thing was, he had new bandages ready.

"I'll change them."

A small panic flashed in her eyes.

"I'm just gonna change the lower part." If the bandages covering her chest needed changing, he would have called someone else. Did she not believe that he would respect her? He might have said out loud he was claiming her but nothing was quite official yet and nothing would be done until she was healed.

Kagome watched him as he uncovered some of her wounds and threw away the blood soaked bandages. It did not look as bad as she remembered it. You could still see the shape of the claws in the wounds but it did not appear to be as deep as it used to be. Kouga seemed to arrive at the same conclusion since he looked relieved. Instead of covering back the injuries with new bandages, he dipped his fingertips into some sort of paste and she watched as he applied it carefully on the open gashes. It felt cold to the touch and she tried not to jerk away. After a few moments the discomfort was over and he was finally shielding her injuries.

"Tha-nk you," she breathed out.

"Sorry again," he said feeling like a complete idiot.

It was not how today was supposed to go. After his little victory with the kiss, he was supposed to keep showing her what a good alpha male he was. Why did he always end up looking weak in her presence? Now, he would have to work extra hard to make up for this incident.

"Do ya want some water?"

She was certain she could do with some food but remembering what happened last time, water might be a safer bet. She nodded as best she could and it seemed to make him happy. He twisted his body around and patted the furs into a nice pile before he wrapped his arms around her and carefully laid her down on her new made bed. Apparently proud of himself, he smiled.

"I'll be right back."

This he could do for her. He could fetch whatever she needed and he could make sure his woman was comfortable. Maybe there were better furs he could get for her? Since he was slightly distracted, he did not notice as Ginta and Hakkaku began to crowd him.

"Kouga?" one of them said quietly.

"What?" he asked, slowing down.

"Is Sis okay?"

"Yeah, we smelled blood."

Damn it. "Her wounds opened."

"But it's fine right?" Kagome saved all of their lives and she even risked hers when they were being captured. They did not want to over step the line by taking care of her since it was Kouga's job but they hated all the waiting around.

"Yeah, I think so." He tended to wounds much worse than that before. Though, this was Kagome…a human. No, it was fine. The wounds did not open up that much and they were healing great. "They're fadin' away," he added to re-assure everyone.

A sigh of relief was heard.

"Wait, if she was bleedin' why you here?"

"My woman needs water."

"Oh," Ginta said with eyes wide open. "We figured she might be thirsty!"

Hakkaku took the occasion to run ahead near the waterfall. He picked up a vase from the ground and happily took it back to Kouga. "We got that this mornin'. It's all fresh!"

Granted Kouga was the one who wanted to take care of his woman but he was happy everyone cared so much about Kagome. Especially since she was human. However, nobody seemed to have a problem with it so far - and even if they did, he would deal with them and there would be _no problem_.

Kouga let Hakkaku carry the water back to the den since it made him happy to do it. He followed behind, actually enjoying the fact that he was able to stretch his legs. He was a _runner_ and ever since she arrived injured, he stayed put by her side. He did not mind, he did not complain but it would be lying to say that his legs were not itching for a _ very long run_. However, he complete refused to do so until she recovered. Then perhaps, he could take her with him. He firmly believed she would not mind riding on his back.

Hakkaku brought the water inside and put the vase beside Kagome.

"Hey Sis."

Instead of talking, Kagome smiled.

"We're all worried about ya. Feel better alright?"

It was hard not to be swoon by the wolf tribe. Yes, the place was still filled with bones, probably humans one, but they were kind at heart. They barely knew her and yet they were all taking care of her as one of their own and their concern appeared to be very sincere.

He lingered a second longer before leaving and revealing that Kouga was standing not far behind. He slowly approached, his chest swelling with pride. Each time he looked at her and witnessed her kind acts, he was reminded of what a good choice he made by choosing her.

"They're all worried 'bout ya," he began as he sat down. He scooped some of the water with a small bowl and held it steadily with one hand. "I can't be out there without 'em askin' how you're doin'."

He used his free hand to lift her head and then brought the bowl to her lips. She took small sips, especially since it was difficult for her to swallow and he made sure not to give her too much. After a moment, she pinched her lips and he understood. As he pulled away, a few drops spilled on her skin and it felt _good_. She had fuzzy memories of a bath and it sounded like heaven at the moment. However, she knew Kouga just tended to her wounds and she felt bad to ask for a bath already. Yet, the feeling of that cold water droplets falling on her kept playing over and over in her mind.

Drinking water reminded her of how warm she felt.

"M-more," she grumbled.

Kouga hurried to obey. He gave her more water to drink immediately. By looking at her he could tell that if she could actually drink on her own, she would be gulping it down. He impatiently waited for her to finish drinking. Once she was done, he hurried to put the bowl down and then pressed a hand to her forehead. Again, she felt warm to the touch. It was not as bad as the last time, when he had no choice but to bring her in the water with him, but he remained concern. Was her fever dying down or was it slowly coming back?

"Are ya warm?"

She weakly nodded.

Unsure, he decided to go get someone. "I'll be right back."

He rushed outside and began looking left and right. "Anyone seen Miku?"

"She's in the main den."

Once again he ran until he found her. "I think she's runnin' another fever."

However, Miku was not looking at him, she was glancing at the ground. He followed her gaze and saw the cat. All its chest was wrapped up with bandages along with one of its paws. It's breathing was harsh but he could tell from its aura that he was no longer in danger of death. Kagome would be happy about that.

"Is it worse than before?"

"Not really but I don't think she was this warm last night."

She spent her time in his arms and he did not even feel her sweat. This had to be new.

Miku frowned before rising to her feet. She followed Kouga back to the den. He was in a rush, always slowing down because she was not keeping up with his pace. Miku smiled at his actions. "She is healin'. There is no need to worry so much." Kagome might still have a while to go before she was up and running but Miku knew she was improving. Humans were simply slower at healing.

Once, they finally arrive, Kouga moved out of the way to let Miku passed. The healer kneeled beside Kagome and greeted her with a nod. "Are you feelin' ill, child?"

All Kagome could do was offer a weak shrug. "W-warm."

She touched her forehead and although her temperature was higher than it should be it was not critic. Could it be that Kagome was so used to being cold that this felt very warm to her? Perhaps it was best to not take any chances.

"Did you just change her bandages?"

"I accidentally brushed up against her wounds," he said a bit defeated.

"Wait for the paste to dry and then, take her into the waterfall again."

"She has a fever again?"

"I don't wanna take any chances."

He nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Miku smiled at him as she stood up. Then, she put her hand on his shoulder and squeeze. "You do not need to worry this much."

He would anyway, though.

Feeling less tense, he joined Kagome. He would remain by her side until it was time to help her into the water again. This time it should be easier since she was more awake and conscious.

"I told ya I was gonna look after ya," he said while reaching out for her hand. He intertwined their fingers and held on to her. "If ya need something, tell me."

Her eyes moved to their joined hands and she blushed. At first she did attempt to tug away but her strength was close to non existent and his grip was much stronger than hers. After a few tugs, she gave up. He was a little forward but he was not doing anything wrong. Also, to be completely honest, she was glad someone was with her. She felt like hell and the last thing she wanted was to be alone. Even though she saw her injuries were better and her breathing improved, at times the pain terrified her; she believed herself to be dying when the torment took over. She did not want to die in a cave in the feudal era. But if she had to, she did not want to be all by herself.

When Kagome did not pull away, Kouga smiled brightly. It was obvious she did not react well to his proposal, though her judgement was clouded by Inutrasha, and for a moment he feared she might actual mean it. Now though as time went by she seemed more and more open to him and his proposal. That made him feel better. Though, he promised he would not actively pursue her until she was healed and better. He did not need her worrying about this or anything else for the time being.

_Oh_. That reminded him of the cat! "Would you like to see your friend?"

Her eyes breached open and he watched her shiny eyes as they filled with hope. "The cat," he added.

This time, light danced upon her eyes and she smiled. The relief was obvious in her face and he was glad. "I'll go get her. Ya gonna be alright?"

She weakly nodded.

He rushed to his feet and ran outside. Since he had to wait before bathing her, he might as well give her a moment with her friend now. He ran inside the main den and carefully laid down beside the neko. "Can I pick her up?"

"She should not really move on her own. Make sure ya are the one to carry her."

Kouga carefully wrapped his arms around the small, beige cat and held it close to his chest. Instead of running this time, he slowly walked back to his den. It took longer but he did not want to hurt his woman's friend. They were lucky enough it was alive. The cat did not move much until they were inside his den. Then, it wriggled its nose and opened its eyes once it recognized Kagome's scent. He kneeled by Kagome's bedside and put the cat beside her. He watched for a while as Kagome lifted her hand to pet the cat.

"Ki-r-rr-a," she croaked out.

The salty scent of the tears invaded the cave and then, he saw the tears sliding down his woman's cheeks. His heart squeezed in pain but he kept silent. They were probably tears of joy. She had to be happy the cat was alive.

As Kagome buried her face in the cat's pelt, he realized this was more of a private moment. "I'll be right outside," he spoke before dragging himself away.

Kagome did not reply. Instead, she kept her face close to Kirara. At the moment, Kirara represented home - at least her home in the Feudal Era. She also reminded Kagome of all her friends, of _Inuyasha_. At those thoughts, more tears came. She did not even try to hold them back. Her memory since her arrival in the wolf's den was fuzzy and she could not even remember if she cried so far. All she knew was that it felt good to let all out. It did not really help with the pain but it did relieve her from all the heaviness she felt deep inside.

She tangled her fingers in Kirara's fur, feeling the spots were the blood dried and left the pelt crusty. She also took notice of the bandages; Kirara was in worst shape than her. The simple fact that she, a youkai, was still hurting, meant the bird of paradise got her good. Kirara put herself in harm ways to protect Kagome and she could never repay her for that. She held on to her as tightly as she could, without hurting either of them, and soon enough she heard the cat purred. At least, it was as glad to see her as she was. Though, she imagined this was worse on Kirara than Kagome. Yes, Kagome missed and loved her friend but… Kirara and Sango were with each other since the very beginning.

"Soon," she managed to say which left her completely breathless.

She was dying for the pain in her lungs to lessen. She was tired of feeling like someone was crushing her chest with a rock. That feeling that she might be near death lurked upon her again and she brought herself even closer to Kirara.

Kirara nuzzled the side of Kagome's face, her eyes briefly opening.

The neko was just as hot as Kagome but neither of them felt it. Instead, they kept each other warm. Sometimes, Kagome felt Kirara quiver and she assumed her friend was weeping as well. It only made it that much harder for Kagome to contain her tears. She meant to stop, she meant to be stronger but she was _exhausted_ and right now everything felt strange and foreign. Tomorrow, she would be strong, today she would be weak.

Meanwhile, far from the den was Kouga. He was sitting on the ground with his knees pressed in his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. Their silent conversation and their auras caused his good mood to disappear. All he could feel was Kagome's pain. He did try not to listen and to give them privacy but he could not resist the urge. The sound of her crying was echoing in his mind and it drove him crazy. The more time went by, the more tears she shared. The cat's sad aura was not helping either. They were miserable.

He thought he was taking good care of Kagome. He thought he was helping her recover and showing her how much he could love her. Yet, the moment she saw her friend she broke down. Currently, she could not really talk but if she could, would she share with him just how much she missed her friends? It was important that her physical wound healed but what about her mind? Did it make her unhappy to be stuck with him here? There was no way he could move her, not without risking opening her wounds. Though, he could have brought her friends here. He saw them and he chose to keep her for himself.

Guilt slowly ate him alive and he suddenly found himself unable to remain where he was. He stood to his feet and began to walk away. At first he was taking slow steps but it was not helping; he could still hear her shedding tears. He chose to run. Faster and faster until he was leaving a whirlwind behind him. His feet were barely touching the ground and dust surrounded them. He heard Ginta and Hakkaku calling out from behind him but he ignored them. He never slowed them, he never gave them a reply.

He was a youkai with a mission. He refused to return to the den until he found a way to stop his woman's tears. There was no way she would cry because of him. He could not live with that.

There was no way he was bringing Inutrasha to his den but there was another friend he could bring for her.

The slayer.

She would make his woman happier.

-E-


	6. Healing & Bounding

**A/N: **I didn't mean for this update to take so long, I just got stuck. I must have re-written half of this chapter a dozen times. Also, thank you guys for the amazing reviews and support. I swear I'm doing my best.

_This was not beta. I'm_ _sorry_. I barely re-read it... because I work long hours - and night shifts now - and I'm tired.

**Enamored**

**Chapter 6: Healing & Bonding**

Kouga mumbled every curse he knew until he was back at the den. Of course, he refused to go inside. He was not supposed to be back; he did not have the slayer with him. His nose was good but apparently it was not enough. The slayer and the monk's scents were a little hard to track since they were so _human_. Usually, he would have picked up Inuyasha's scent rapidly though… but he could not find the damn mutt's scent anywhere! It was as if he completely vanished from this world!

How could he face Kagome if he had nothing to bring her joy? He could not stand her tears and her pain! He was supposed to make her happy again! He _said_ he would not even see her without having the slayer with him. He was a failure.

He could have kept searching… he could have tried _harder_. Though he felt as if he could not be far from her for too long. Miku even instructed him to take her to the waterfall. What if he was away too long and her fever returned? _How in the world did he even leave her alone without taking her there first!_ Kami he was reckless. This was the very reason why Kagome got hurt in the first place. If he had not been reckless before, he would have kept her with him and the damn birds of paradise would have never hurt her. He needed to stop making stupid decisions.

For her, he would have to forget his pride and return without what he promised. Although, nobody knew what he swore to himself which would make the whole situation less embarrassing but _he_ would live with the shame regardless.

Kouga barely had time to walk in that he was surrounded.

"Kouga! Where were ya!"

"We looked for ya! We couldn't find ya anywhere!"

"I was just out," he poorly explained.

"Sis ain't feeling too good."

_Fuck_. He knew it. He knew he should not have left her side. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. "Where is she?"

"In the den. We didn't wanna move her."

"I think Miku is there."

He sped towards the den but was stopped before he could entered.

"I gave ya _one thing _to do."

Miku stared at him with cold eyes. "Ya were supposed to look after her."

He felt too much shame to even defend himself. Plus, what was the point; Miku would know he was lying. "She was cryin'."

"Of course she was cryin'! But lettin' her get worse is not gonna help her!" She softly slapped him on the head. "She scared. Don't leave her alone."

He nodded. "Where's the cat?"

"Back in the other den." She sighed. "Now take the poor girl to the waterfalls will ya?"

"I will."

"And try not to open her wounds again. It's not good for her."

Oh no, he would never let that happen again. Despite how much he loved sleeping close to her, he would never do it again. From now, he would sleep on the ground with a little bit of distance between them. That way he would still keep an eye on her but he could not harm her.

"I ain't gonna."

Once Miku finally let him in, he found Kagome asleep in the furs. He could see the sweat dripping from the side of her face and the faint crimson color covering her cheeks. This was all because of him. Of course, it did not seem as bad as last time but he should not have let it get that far. It was his duty to watch over her and he failed. "I'm sorry," he mumbled even though she could not hear him.

He kneeled to her side and brushed away her sticky bangs. At least she looked peaceful. He did not want her to be in anymore pain.

Since she was asleep, and sleep helped her recovery, he decided not to wake her for the moment. He did his best to gently wrap his arms around her body and then, in a swift motion, he picked her up from the ground and waited. He thought she would wake up but instead, she simply let her head drop against his chest. Satisfied, he began heading towards their destination.

For the first time in a long while, he actually kept a slow pace. He made sure to avoid any bumps or distractions. He knew this time she would wake up once they would be in the water but he wanted to let her enjoy her rest as long as possible. The moon was extremely high in the sky by the time they arrived at the waterfalls. He laid her down in the grass with her back pressed against a rock before pondering _how_ to wake her up.

He did not wish to startle her and decided to gently shake her shoulder. Unfortunately, that did not do the trick. He decided to hold both of her shoulders with his hands and then leaned forward to press a kiss on her forehead. When she did not wake up, he lowered his mouth until he was kissing her nose and then, the corner of her mouth.

That woke her up. Although, she did not seem upset. Instead, she slowly opened her eyes. At first, his closeness did not even startle her. She looked right into his eyes, searching for answers.

"K-kouga?"

"We're at the waterfalls, ya running a fever."

She did feel awfully warm. Dazed, she nodded and then leaned forward into him; her head was too heavy for her to hold up. Though her fever did not prevent her from feeling the effects of her little crying session with Kirara. Her eyes _hurt_ from puffiness and redness. She was certain her face looked awful and her heart was still heavy with pain. A part of her wanted to be really mad at _anybody_ but she was too weak and tired.

Kagome felt it as Kouga lifted her up from the ground and carried them towards the water. For a moment, a small panic settled in; he was going to let her keep her clothes, _right_? She knew in his mind they were…mated and… well she did not want him getting any ideas.

"My clo-thes."

"Are ya hurt?"

"I wan-t k-eep 'em." Her lungs brought her pain with each word she spoke and she decided the less words, the better.

"I ain't gonna undress you."

She was his mate but he was respectful. This was not time to be looking upon her naked flesh. Did she think that little of him? Did she truly believe he would take advantage of her? He tried not to let his disappointment show as he dipped her into the water. She clutched to his body as best she could, the cold probably overwhelming her. He began to worry since he knew moving was bad for her injuries and he attempted to keep her still.

Her _brain_ felt cold. All she wanted to do was claw her way out of the water but she did not even have the energy to do that. She could barely twist her body around. She knew that at that exact moment, Kouga was the only thing keeping her from drowning and for some reason she was terrified he was going to let go. Her body was slowly turning to ice and she felt the coldness spread, leaving her numb. Somehow, she found solace in it. She hated it, she wanted to fight it but he was terribly overwhelming. The water begged her to give herself to it.

She did.

She softly closed her eyes and let her body go completely limp.

She trusted Kouga to hold her up… or the water not to swallow her whole.

He calmed down when he realize she stopped fighting. This whole situation made him nervous; Kagome was supposed to get better, not worse. This was his fault. No matter how much it hurt to see her cry, no matter how confused he was about her emotions, he would stay by her side. He would not make the mistake of leaving her again. Instead, he would send some of the others out. Perhaps if they were three or four out there, it would be easier for them to locate the slayer.

They remained in the water a little while longer. He made sure her entire body had time to soak up the iciness of the water and once she felt cold in his hold, he pulled her out. Obviously, the moment they were out of the water, she began to shiver. He cursed out loud and tried to hurry back to the den. It was not as though he could use his speed; it would injure her. Instead, he was forced to carry her while she suffered in his arms. At least, she appeared to be asleep.

Everyone made way for him when they arrived. Ginta followed closely behind. "Miku changed the furs and she brought fresh water and food for Sis! She also said you were gonna have to wait til morning before you change her bandages."

"Do you need us to do anything?" Hakkaku asked, chipping in.

Kouga shook his head. "Ya just gotta make sure everything around here is alright. I ain't gonna leave her alone until she's back on her feet."

That could take a while but it did not matter. As long as his people were safe and had enough to eat they did not really need him for the time being. Of course, they still had jewel shards to collect but it could wait. Plus, it would be way easier to do that once Kagome was healthy again. His woman would make the pack strong and powerful just like he had anticipated. Though, that was not the only reason for her presence here.

"We'll handle everything!" Ginta and Hakkaku said in sync before zooming away.

Kouga reached the den fairly quickly and laid Kagome down in a bed of furs. Then, he did his best to dry her wet exposed skin.

"F-feel better."

The sound of her voice startled him. He did not even sense her stir in her sleep. "Are ya hungry?"

She shook her head. Although, maybe she was. It was as though she forgot what being hungry felt like. It was probably best not to upset her stomach; she did not think she could handle throwing up.

He frowned but he did not insist. She _could_ respond meaning she could make her own decisions but he would watch over her. It was a good thing he did not need to rest. Deep inside, he feared that the real reason why she said she was not hungry was because she did not want him to kiss her again. Sometimes she seemed to like it and other times she was completely against it. Perhaps he should wait for her to initiate the next kiss? He did not want to rush her. They did have forever - or at least _human's version _of forever. And she had her quest to complete, though he was not really sure what it was. Too bad he could not ask right now.

"Kira-ra?"

"She's sleeping."

That question made him feel bad about not finding the slayer.

"Ya can see her again later if ya want."

She nodded. Seeing Kirara again both broke her heart and made her happy at the same time.

"Are ya still cold?"

"Not r-really," she replied with raspy voice.

_Oh why did she not get injured near the well_. Why did she get injured while she was _by herself_? If she could have made it to the well, she would be healed by now. Instead she had to rely on feudal era medicine…and youkais who had very little knowledge about humans…except when it came to eating them. Hopefully she truly was healing and there were no infections…although the fever was not a good sign.

If only she could stop feeling hot and cold at the same time.

Kouga discarded the soak furs far away from her and then returned by her side. The fire was out but he did not want to light it just yet.

He dropped his arm to his side and then, reached for her hand. He intertwined the fingers and closed his eyes. He almost expected her to try and break free but she did not. Instead she laid peacefully by his side.

"Th-thank you," she mumbled.

Kouga was a bit strange and quite pushy but he was very devoted. She might have been very in and out of it but each time she opened her eyes, he was there. He made sure she was comfortable and she had everything she needed. They were strangers… and really not too long ago they all wanted to have her for lunch. It was quite a turn of events. Sure, she could have done without the kisses -_ oh god her first kisses -_ but, his kindness was appreciated. Without him and his pack she probably would have died out there.

"You're my woman," he quickly replied. "I ain't gonna let you down."

_There it was again_. Usually, she would roll her eyes at those words. Tonight, they made her feel safe.

-E-

Quietness filled the cave by the time Kagome woke up. Since the area was plunged in darkness it was impossible for her to tell if it was day or night. She did however, feel a lot better than the previous day. Her chest was not as heavy, her head was not pounding and breathing did not bring her as much pain. She managed to lift her head on her own and when she did, she found Kouga staring at her. She offered him a small smile as a sign of greeting.

"Are ya alright?"

Concern was obvious in his eyes as he examined every inch of her body.

She blinked. "Yes," she croaked out. Even her voice was a little better.

He did not seem to believe her.

"Ya've been asleep for two days," he added as he approached his hand to her forehead.

_Cold_. Her fever was gone. Perhaps the little bath and sleeping actually helped her. Kagome's body was no longer fighting the infection. That was good right? He would have to confirm with Miku… Kouga did no dare to leave her side, especially since he promised he would stay with her and watch over her. He kept his promise this time.

_Two days_?! How come she felt better? She thought she was supposed to be getting healthier… At least she had some of her strength back. Also, with the way her stomach was growling it was fair to assume she got her appetite back as well. Even raw meat sounded delicious at the moment.

"Hungry?" she tried. She barely used her voice lately and now it was raspy. On the positive side talking was no longer extremely painful.

Food! She wanted food! After they returned from the waterfall, his only concern was to bring her fever down. He did not even think she would be hungry for a while. He sighed in frustration before nodding.

"I'll be right back. Okay?"

She nodded.

He lingered a bit more simply to confirm she would be fine on her own and then he dashed out of the den. The bright sun forced him to squint once he was outside. He ran towards the first wolf he saw and stopped him. "Is there any meat?"

"There are left over in the main den."

Good thing Kagome probably would not eat a lot. He rushed towards the main den and as soon as he got there, Ginta and Hakkaku ran in his direction.

"How's Sis?"

"She's awake."

"Does she need somethin?"

"She's hungry."

Ginta smiled. "We saved some food for her. We even cooked it!" He paused. "Though it must be kinda cold by now… we can throw it back on the fire though!"

They ran towards the edge of the cave and retrieve a little package wrapped in a giant leaf. They took the meat out and put it above the nearby fire. Some of the wolves around winced in disgust as they watch the meat cook even _more_.

"I don't know why humans gotta cook it. It ruins the flavour."

Kouga shot a glare in direction of the wolf who hurried to quiet down. Kagome would live with them permanently eventually and he did not need anyone judging her or her eating habits.

"There, it should be all warm for Sis," Ginta said as he handed Kouga the meat.

"Thanks," Kouga replied as he wrapped it back up.

And then, he was gone, zooming through the den. Since he arrived so fast by Kagome's side, he provoke a gush of wind that sent her hair flying around. When he realized it he frowned. "Sorry," he quickly apologized as he kneeled beside her.

She dismissed it with a small gesture of her head.

He opened up the leaf and quickly enough, the sweet scent spread around. Kagome inhaled and her stomach growled. _Oh yes, she was hungry_. She observed as he cut the meat into tiny pieces. At least this time, she should be able to eat by herself. Involuntarily, her cheeks became red. She was certain she was not comfortable enough to have him help her again. She preferred if they kept a little distance between them.

Kouga picked a piece with his fingers and brought it to her lips. She opened her mouth and he placed it inside. She chewed, as best she could, and then took a deep breath before swallowing. The piece was still a bit thick but it managed to make its way through. Kouga fed her a few more chunks of meat before she had to stop him. Her stomach was not used to food and it was too much. If she ate any more, she would probably end up being sick.

He wrapped up the rest and put it aside.

"Do ya want some water?"

She shook her head; even water would be too much for her at the moment.

As he remained beside her, he felt useless. She was awake but there was not much he could do for her. What if she got bored? He did not really want to bring the cat back in here; it would make her sad again and he did not want to smell her tears.

"Do ya need something?"

What could she ask for? She could not move around, she could barely talk. "I'm ok-ay."

Did not have anything for her to read… they mostly hunted and worked with each other for their survival and their grow in power. Though… Kagome was a miko right? Maybe she would like to talk with Miku? She was a healer… it was not exactly the same thing but it was the best he had right now. Plus perhaps Kagome would like to share with another female.

He bent down and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. Kagome blushed furiously and turned her head away. He _had_ to stop doing that.

Kouga barely seemed to notice her reaction as he rose to his feet. "I'll be right back."

He would give them privacy but he would keep an eye on her. It did not take him too long to find Miku and he then led her to the den. He chose to sit outside, that way he would hear but not _pry_ into their conversations. The older wolf walked in, her speed much slower than Kouga's. Kagome was surprised when she saw it was not Kouga coming in but a stranger instead.

"Hello Child," the woman spoke. "I am Miku."

Instead of using her voice, Kagome nodded. She was slightly confused; she could have sworn Kouga said he would be right back. Was something wrong with her? Why was he not back? Why did he send someone else instead?

Miku smiled. "Nothing is wrong with you, girl." It was probably not good for her to have her heart beating so fast. "I simply wanted to check up on you. I am the one who healed you." Kouga did a good part of the work but it was with _her antidotes_. Plus, it was not really why she was here. Even she did not know the exact reason for her presence. Kouga simply asked her to come speak with Kagome. She figured he was concerned for her and she did not ask any questions.

He might be young, foolish and hot-headed sometimes but he was their leader and he was a good one. He had pure heart.

"Are you feeling better?"

"A li-ttle."

"Kouga told me you ate."

"Not much."

"Progress is progress. We did not know how a human such as yourself would recover." Sometimes it slipped her mind how weak humans were. Though she could affirm one thing; the girl was strong. "I understand why Kouga believes you will be a great mate."

Immediately, Kagome's cheeks turned pink. _That word again_. She did not know what he had been telling everyone but nobody was going to be anybody's mate. So they were a few kisses and _things_ but she was always so out of it and it was not like she enjoyed it and _he sort of _forced it on her and she did not even have a choice in the matter! _But nooooo! _There was not going to be any mating of any kind. She was sure of that.

Miku giggled. The girl's aura, scent and facial expressions were enough to tell a long story.

"He is a good wolf." She tilted her head to the side. "A bit eager and reckless, but he is one of the good one."

Except Kagome already had someone. Sort of. Though he belonged to someone else and was ready to go to hell with that someone else…and it was probably best if she did not think about it for the time being. Though she would not argue with Miku. Kouga was a good person and she owed him her life. She would never forget what he did for her.

"In time, you will see," Miku added before leaning forward. She pressed her hand to Kagome's forehead. "No fever, that is a good sign."

Although, last time her fever die down and it spiked back up. Hopefully she would stay healthy long enough to allow herself to heal. Her tiny human body was tired and Miku could tell. Even the poor girl's aura was weak. The first time Kagome came in to the den it simply exploded and now, you had to focus to even feel it. Hopefully it was only because all of her energy was focused on healing.

"Do you wish for me to bathe you?"

Although Kouga took her in the water a few times, it was not the same. Plus, the girl was not like other humans; she smelled _nice_. Miku could only assume it was because she enjoyed bathing. She knew it was a bit awkward to ask Kouga hence why she was offering herself.

Kagome shook her head.

She was not really comfortable around anyone here and although the woman seemed quite nice she felt too awkward to be naked around her. Plus, she was certain enough people had seen her naked by now. There was no need to add any names to the list. She preferred to wait until she could do it on her own.

"Thank y-you though."

Miku nodded. "Would you like me to stay or would you like for me to go get Kouga?"

She knew what Kouga had hoped would happen but the girl seemed to weak, to frightened to speak. She could understand; she was all alone, away from home and her friends and she was badly injured. The poor thing wanted to cry, not talk. Miku had no intention of forcing her to do things she did not want to do. When she would be ready, she would share and clearly that time was not now.

Her relationship with Kouga was currently filled with a lot of…tension? Sometimes it felt comfortable to have him around and other times she was just waiting for him to kiss her again. Not that she wanted him too. Because she did not. Still, it almost felt more awkward to have Miku around. After all, Kagome did not know her. She appeared to be nice but - what kind of conversation were they supposed to have?

No, as silly as it sounded, she might just preferred Kouga's company. It made her feel safe - which was a feeling that eluded her lately. Sometimes when she closed her eyes she could still feel the fear that filled her when giant silver claws penetrated her flesh and nearly killed her. She could even feel the pain pulsing through her every time the memory filled her mind.

"K-kouga."

Miku smiled. "He will be here shortly, child."

She rose up, her smile never faltering. She had a feeling her leader would be very happy about the human girl's decision. He seemed extremely nervous lately and perhaps that would ease some of that stress away.

"Kouga," she called out when he came into view.

"She doesn't want my company. She is askin' for you."

His eyes widened. "Me?" He brought Miku in to give Kagome a break. He figured she was tired of having _him_ around and she probably sought a woman's company. He apparently did not know the first thing about her but _damn_ he would be lying if he said he was not pleased with this new outcome.

"Thanks," he said before rushing back into the den.

He found her as he left her; laying down. "Hey," he said as he reached her side. "I'm back."

She nodded. "Thank y-ou." It was slightly embarrassing that he _knew_ she _wanted_ him there but in her situation it hardly mattered. She simply hoped he was not getting any ideas. This did not mean she wanted him to kiss her and it did not mean she was agreeing to being his mate. She felt the heat rising to her face; she hoped he would not notice her blush.

He did not.

He laid down by her side and watched as she slowly breathed, her eyes closed.

_She wanted him beside her_.

That was the best feeling in the world.

-E-

Everything was pain and sorrow.

Kagome woke herself up by the sound of her own screams. She sat up, despite the fact that she did not have the energy or strength to do it, and began screaming non-stop. She felt arms wrap around her but she kept fighting them. She felt blood spill out of her wounds but she did not stop. She was confused. _Where_ was she?

"Kagome!" he called out. "Calm down!"

He was trying not to be rough with her but she was hurting herself. What else was he supposed to do? He put a bit more strength into it and pushed her all the way down, keeping her still. His arms were still wrapped around her as he covered her body with his. She was trapped between his legs. He did not want to hurt her or put too much pressure but he could smell the blood pouring out. Why could she not remain still? Why was she forcing him to do this.

"Kagome," he whispered, trying to be soothing. "Please," he begged.

Her eyes opened wide and she felt hypnotized by his blue orbs. He was _begging her_ with his eyes. He never looked away, he never let her go. Finally, she stopped fighting him and let her arms drop to her side. Her heart was beating _too fast_ and it was hurting her. She felt warm and wet - probably because of her blood. The dream, it felt so real. It was the damn claws again and the pain. She tried to escape it but it kept following her. She felt all the slashes, all the blood splattering. And then she heard Kouga. It snapped her back into reality.

She could feel his heavy body on her, his hands squeezing her shoulders. His mouth was so close to hers - all of him was close to her. "K-kouga."

"I'm here. You're safe."

He did not move, not yet. He wanted to make sure she was not going to hurt herself again. If she kept opening her wounds like that, she would never heal! He wanted to see her back on her own two feet. At least this time it was not his fault but it did not make him feel any better.

"I'm o-kay," she finally said.

He nodded. Then, he slowly pulled himself off of her. He did not want to make her situation worst. He manoeuvred himself around her body and landed beside her with a thump.

"Is it bad?"

He shook his head. It _felt_ and smelled worst than it actually looked. It was a good news; some of her wounds had closed up a bit. It was better than nothing since it felt like she was making no progress lately. "Ya gonna be okay. I promise."

It would not be wise to change her bandages, not while she was still bleeding. He would wait until it stopped. "Do ya want some water?" She was covered in sweat, because of all the efforts she just did, and her lips were cracked and dried.

She nodded, unable to speak any longer. Her lungs were on fire and she felt like she could not even raise her hand at this point. Where did all that strength even come from? Kouga had to _hold_ her down. It made her glad that she requested his presence by her side. He managed to spare her a few more injuries. God, she felt so stupid. Why did she freak out like that? It was over, the nightmare was over. She was safe here at the den.

"Hey, don't cry," he said in a whisper.

Cry? She was crying? She sniffled and nodded.

She felt him brush his fingers across her cheeks, wiping some of the tears away. When he lowered his hand again, she brushed his fingers with her fingertips. It hurt too much to move but at that moment she felt too scared to be alone. It was silly because he would not leave but the fear was there nonetheless. She was not sure if he understood what she meant to say or he simply thought she wanted to touch him but he intertwined their fingers and laid on his side. Kouga then used his free hand to brush away some of her bangs that stuck to her forehead because of the sweat.

"I ain't gonna leave you and nothin' is gonna hurt you again."

His heart broke at the sight of her tears. His Kagome was not meant to cry and she certainly was not meant to be in pain. He would take it all away in a heartbeat; it was not fair. He gently brushed his thumb across her hand, hoping to soothe away some of her fears. It scared him to see her in such a state. Maybe there was something he could do to make the environment more friendly for her - this was not her home. At least not yet. Perhaps he could find more _human_ stuff. That way she might not get as scared or lost when she would wake up from nightmares.

He wanted to be her home. He wanted her to want to stay.

He thought he would never convince her but her recent actions were proving him otherwise. She _asked_ for him and now, she nearly begged him to stay with a simple gesture. She looked up to him to comfort her and he would no disappoint. As long as his woman needed him he would stay by her side and protect her.

"You're my woman, Kagome. You're safe here."

He leaned forward and she did not even pull away. She even let him press a kiss to her forehead and she did not flinch or try to pull away from his touch. Pleased, he tucked her in the crook of his neck, sharing his warmth with her.

Kagome felt the blush that crept up on her cheeks but she ignored it. This was perhaps the worst idea she ever had and she did not want Kouga to think she was leading him on but…sleeping like this made her feel safe and she needed that if she wanted to fall asleep again. Rest was the only way she was going to get better. Would it really be so bad if she stayed like that and enjoyed the feeling?

She was not doing anything bad, right?

She only wanted to forget about the nightmares.

-E-


	7. No Love

**A/N: Well, **this is embarassing. I haven't updated this in over a year. I'm really sorry. I meant to keep updating both of my kougakag fic at the same pace but... I had a harder time with this one. Hopefully this chapter means it'll be easier from now on.

(It's very late, I'm very tired. I'll prolly look it over tomorrow. I apologize, and I know as an author I should strive to give you good chapters, you deserve it but I'm so exhausted that I'm at the point that if I don't post it like this, I'll never post it at all).

**Enamored**

**Chapter 7: No Love**

The sun was rising high in the sky, soft palettes of blue and orange mingling together to create a quiet glow inside the main den. By that hour, most of the wolves were out and about, ready to hunt and kill today's meal. Some of them were lingering, waiting around the leader's den. No noise came to their ears throughout the night and they could not help but wonder if everything went alright. Their leader usually kept them posted but they also knew that he wish to remain by his beloved's side. Even if not everyone agreed with his choice, they remained concerned for the one that was their alpha. Nobody was willing to betray him.

Ginta and Hakkaku were the ones who remained the closest to the den. In fear that their little sister might require something, they never ventured too far. Although, the many sleepless nights they had lately were beginning to take their tolls. Their cheeks were no longer plump, their eyes no longer gleamed with excitement. Dark circles were painted beneath their irises, sunken cheeks decorated the rest of their faces. It was a cross they were willing to bear. Kagome put her life on the line for them and they could never pay her back. This was the less that they could do - and even that did not feel like it was much. Nonetheless, they did not want to fail to their duty. They would remain there, leaning against the copper colored rocks, their arms crossed in front of their pale chests.

Light had yet to find it's way into Kouga's den. Instead, darkness engulfed the sleeping pair. Kouga's chin was digging in Kagome's head, lost in her luscious dark locks. His own dark hair mingled with hers, going all the way to her shoulders and draping over her as a blanket would. His arms were wrapped around her carefully, careless rough hands brushing up against her skin while she remained tucked against his chest. There was a tiny gap between them, one that was big enough to keep her from applying any kind of pressure to her injuries. Sometimes, she tossed, the nightmares plaguing her from time to time. Memories of claws, of blood, memories of what felt like death. None of it allowed her a peaceful sleep. However, sometimes, when strong arms tightened around her waist, bringing warmth to her chest, they went away.

Stirring in her sleep, Kagome was the first to wake up. Her eyelids were heavy, difficult to open but she fluttered her eyelashes and managed to get them wide open. Blue orbs darted into the night before her vision slowly adjusted. She smacked her lips, trying to get rid of that dryness in her throat but all it did was crack her damaged lips further. She inhaled, not too deeply since she did not want to hurt her lungs, and then pressed her cheek further into the source of warmth. It did not take long for her brain to register and realize that the source of warmth was _Kouga_. A ping of panic traveled through her chest and she glanced up at the ookami. He was soundly asleep, the weight of his head pressing against her forehead now that she had shifted their position.

_Oh_.

She leaned backwards, then forward, trying to free her head but nothing worked. A furious red blush painted her cheeks and she lowered her head to hide her shame with her bangs. She remembered _wanting_ to fall asleep this way. It was her only option to chase away the nightmares. Despite the fact that he remained somewhat of a stranger, he was all she had. She was alone in the past and if it were not for him, she would be dead. There was a panic, a need to not be alone. It was new and foreign but she held on to it.

"Kouga," she tried to whisper with a hoarse voice.

He did not move.

"Kouga."

She put a hand on his naked chest, feeling the sturdiness of his muscles as she tried to gather some strength to shake him out of his sleep. _That_ seemed to work. He moved, his eyes slowly opening. He sniffled, his nose twisting around, and then he looked down at her. The look in her eyes snapped him to reality fairly quickly.

"Kagome? Are ya alright?"

She nodded. "I - hm," she tried to pull away from him, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

He shifted away slightly, putting some space between them, although one of his hands remained on her hip. "Did I hurt ya?" How could he fall asleep this soundly? He tried to remain awake and watch over her. He already hurt her once and he did not want to do it again. His features were twisted and crisped, as though he was experiencing a deep pain. His parted dark pink lips were trembling with each breathe he took while his deep blue eyes searched hers.

"I'm o-kay."

Relief showed on his face and he leaned back onto the den's rock wall. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

She shook her head. She _was_ thirsty but she did not feel like moving or anything else at the moment. Plus, there was a part of her that still feared she was convincing Kouga he was right about her feelings for him. She did not love him. Actually there was no way _he_ loved her. He did not even know her. Still, it was not fair of her to let him think she had more than… friendship in her heart.

"Kouga, ab-"

"Don't talk. You look better. Ya should save your energy." She truly looked healthier; her eyes were getting their glow back and her skin no longer was tainted by that shade of green. "Ya sure you don't need water?"

She nodded. "I - _thank you_ for ta-king care of me."

"I told ya Kagome you're my woman."

"I'm not."

His head flinched back and his eyebrows squished together as he appeared to be processing what she was trying to tell him.

"I - " She had to draw the line now. She loved Inuyasha, not Kouga. "_You're my friend_."

He stared at her, disbelief completely hitting him. No, it did not make sense. He knew she left and he let her and maybe she thought she had feelings for Inu-trasha but… _no_, she courted him, she sought his warmth and she even let him - no, no. Wait. He said she was going to be his woman and then - he took care of her. He loved her and he would protect her.

"Kagome, I don't understand. I love ya."

"Kouga, you can't — " His expression shattered her heart, he looked awfully sad. "You don't know me."

That was a lie, he did know her. She was kind and valued her friends above anything else. She would risk her life for those she loved, she could see the jewel shards - _and, and_ she dressed funny. Did Inuyasha know more than that? That idiot knew nothing about Kagome because if he did, he would treat her better and he would not be such a rude asshole around her. No, he did not love her.

"I do."

She tried to force a smile, which hurt more than anything else. "Kouga I -"

"You love that mutt."

He did not want to see it as the truth. It did not make sense. A part of him wanted to hear her say it but at the same time, he did not want to know. But she did not need to say it because he saw it in her eyes. It was there, the guilt, the fleeting glance; she could not look at him. She blushed and stared at him when he kissed her but now she could not look at him. He felt a ping in his heart as though someone was stepping on it, crushing it.

"He's just a no good _mutt_."

"_He's s-weet_," she defended. She knew not everyone could see Inuyasha's good side but - it was there. He was kind and he always looked after her even when he grumbled. Plus, she always got him back by _sitting_ him through hell. It was fair.

His nostrils flared but he kept his mouth shut. He could see that it was difficult for her to talk and he did not want her to hurt herself because of that piece of shit Inu-trasha. He was not worth her pain. Although that did not mean that he was pleased with the way the conversation was going. It should not be like this and yet it was. Suddenly, feeling her so close to him was not as sweet as it was moments ago. He was suffocating, his lungs compressed while he desperately tried to fill them with air. He was not one to give up, he always went after what he wanted. It was one of the reasons why he managed to take lead of the tribe despite his young age.

"I'll get some water."

He promised Kagome she would be his and he thought he would change her mind about Inuyasha. Could he?

"K-kouga."

"I'll be back."

He delicately pulled himself away from her, making sure she rested against the wall so that she would not fall into the emptiness beside her. Then, he rose to his feet and all she could do was watch him leave. Her heart grew heavy, jolts of pain traveling in her chest as he left her side. She sunk her teeth in her bottom lip, holding a breathe. She hurt his feelings; it was obvious. She wished to be afraid, afraid he would leave her to her pain but she could not be. It would be selfish. She was not being nice to him because he was taking care of her, she was being nice because he showed her he was a good person. He cared for his own. He was a bit impulsive and reckless but he had a good heart - which was why she wanted to shatter his illusion as quickly as possible.

Except now she was alone.

She talked more than expected and she could feel the lining of her lungs burning, each intake of air setting fire into the organs. She closed her lips shut, hoping to less the damage. If only she could do something about the sharp pain in her side. All of this would be much easier if only she could walk on her own. At least she could probably eat by herself now…

_No more accidental kisses_.

The hue of red layered on her pale skin was a good indication of how she had no gotten over that moment just yet.

Her first kiss.

It might not have been with a man she loved… but it was with someone who thought he loved her…

Which was more than she could say about Inuyasha.

He protected her, he cared for her but - she was no Kikyo.

Those nightmares plagued her as well. There, in the midst of loneliness and death, she could feel the piece of her soul that was missing, the one keeping Kikyo alive.

What if Kikyo…made it out. What if - _what if she became everything Inuyasha wanted_?

She shook her head as tears began to puddle in her eyes. This was no time for such thoughts - she needed to focus on herself.

And her loneliness.

-E-

Hours went by and the sun settled high in the sky. Kouga got water but he never came back to the den. Instead, he stayed by the waterfall. Despite the strength of the water, he was still able to smell Kagome's scent. _Shit_, it was everywhere, it even permeated his skin. He was not convinced that he could ever get rid of it. That smell would drive him insane forever because he was afraid she might never love him.

He did not love her either at first. She was shrieking and annoying - _and loud_ - and she was nothing but a mean to an end. And then, he saw her soul, he saw the goodness inside of her and everything changed. Kagome was devoted, loyal and much more than a way to find the jewel shards. It was a nice add-on but it was not all she was. And by the gods was she beautiful. He never truly looked at humans before but his Kagome was different. Her clothes were hard to explain but he did not care about those. _Her hair_ - it was luscious and her skin sparkled while those legs of hers went on forever.

"Kouga?"

"What?" he barked back.

"Is sis alright?"

"Ask her."

Ginta frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean _ask her yourself_."

Despite Kouga's clear desire to be alone, Ginta scouted beside him, their knees brushing together as he plopped down. "What happened?"

He glared in direction of Ginta, catching his streak of dark hair from the corner of his eye. "She wants muttface."

"Inuyasha? Why!"

"I don't know!"

"Sis wouldn't want that half dog."

"Apparently she does."

"Well ya did say ya'd kill him next time you see him… just stick to that plan!"

"I can't."

As much as he wanted to see that stinking mutt's head ripped off from his body… it would not be worth it. Those actions would hurt Kagome too much and he could not risk it. Although it would solve all of his problems… _no_. He was not going to do that. There had to be another way. From the way he could smell Inutrasha on Kagome, they had been traveling together for a while. Maybe she was confused? He just needed a little more time. Surely he could convince her this was a good idea. He just - he needed a plan.

"You could be… you know… mm. Friends. With sis."

"Friends?"

"Yeah. She ain't with that jerk. They… I don't know what they are. But he ain't touched her so - _maybe_…"

"Friends…" he repeated, almost as if he was trying out the word to see if he liked it.

It was an option, he could try that. He could not believe that he would go from holding her in his arms, kissing her to… treating her like everyone else? He could not do that. He even proclaimed his love for her from the top of a mountain… Then again, the thought of losing her to the mutt was even worse. If it was what he had to do for his Kagome… then so be it.

"Fine, I'll be her … friend," he grumbled.

"That's the spirit," Ginta said before smacking him on the back.

Kouga eyed him sideway but he did not say anything. What was he supposed to do now? It was not like he could go back to Kagome; he said he would be back and he had yet to return to her side. He was hoping she fell asleep or perhaps, considering her _love_ for Inuyasha, she never even noticed he went missing for so long. Maybe he was being childish about it. He was forward and obtained what he wanted every time he went for it. He was a strong demon, why should he not be able to get the girl?

"Is Miku around?"

"Ya old enough to deal with your girl."

Kouga almost jumped in surprise when he heard the old woman's voice. How long had she been there?

"I ain't gonna deal with her. That's your job. If ya wanna have a mate one day and keep her, you're gonna have to work on your skills."

"My skills are just fine."

She bursted out laughing, never even trying to attempt to shield her laughter from Kouga. "Ya got a lot to learn, kiddo." Miku leaned forward and ruffled his hair with her hand. He might be their leader but she would never stop seeing him like a little child. He might be an excellent alpha but it did not mean he should not hone some of his skills. He was a good kid at heart, he would figure it out one day.

"You can't just claim a woman like her."

Sometimes it was done, especially when the alpha was doing the claiming but - Kagome was not an ookami and the girl had fire, even as she was sick. Kouga was going to need a lot more than that.

"She don't know you, she don't trust you."

"She knows him," defended Ginta.

"How did ya meet the girl?"

"He kidnapped her," Ginta quickly supplied.

Miku rolled her eyes. "There ya go." She pressed her hands against her thighs, pressing down to help herself up. She was not getting any younger and all this stress was putting strain on her body. She was by no means _old_ but the birds of paradise took their toll on everyone.

"Ya got good instincts, kid. What do they tell ya?"

He blinked, unsure what to believe.

"Run?"

He shook his head.

"Then stay in the fight."

She squeezed his shoulder, trying to give him some comfort. If someone could woo someone like Kagome, it was that knuckle head. Plus, she strongly believed that he indeed had a chance. The girl asked for him in her most desperate moment. She could have stayed with a strange woman or Kouga and she picked Kouga. Clearly it was because he brought her some sort of joy or peace of mind. He simply needed to quit being so impulsive.

Kouga watched Miko leave, almost frustrated that she was right. He hated losing and ever since Kagome used her low strength to proclaim her love for Inuyasha…he fell into a bitter mood. Regardless, Miku was right; he could not give up now. His guts told him that there was hope; Kagome courted him he was sure of it. Unless she pushed him away, he would stay by her side. A regain of energy sparked through him and he jumped back to his feet. The earth sunk beneath his weight, his toes digging into the brown mud. He needed to come up with a plan. What was a good plan? What if he did not return to her immediately? It was not like she was completely alone and if she bled, cried out to him, he would hear her in a second. At least, if he gave her some space he would know… if she missed him?

Plus, he technically still had a promise to fulfil. He had not found her friends, he had nothing to give her to bring back hope in her life.

Perhaps he could re-focus on that? It would keep his mind occupied.

"I'll be back."

Those were the last words he tossed at Ginta before speeding away and leaving a cloud of brown dust behind. Ginta coughed before watching him disappear into the forest.

Whatever Kouga had in mind, hopefully, he would be careful.

-E-

Night was nowhere near taking over the sky, although there was a hint of a white moon hiding into the depths of blues. The sun teased the horizon, brushing into the lower parts of the sky. The air was colder, breezes spreading through the trees and causing the leaves to ruffle, leaving a carpet of green and light orange upon the luscious grass. The different scents of the area were being thrown around, mingling with each other and making it quite difficult to follow _only one_. Footsteps were the only sound disturbing the area not too far from the den, despite the fact that it was protected by water and a grandiose waterfall.

"Inuyasha?"

No response.

"_Inuyasha!"_

"Whaddaya want?" he snapped back.

His nose was pressed into the ground, creating clouds of dust every time he took a step forward. His red fire rat robe was spread out around him, getting dirtier and dirtier by the minute. Inuyasha did not know why but he had a feeling Kagome was nearby. He had yet to catch a clear scent but it was a feeling deep inside his guts. His nose twitched, his nostrils flared and he finally raised his head.

"What is it?" he repeated, his temper still flaring.

Sango's eyes narrowed. She put her hands on her hips, tilting her waist forward, causing her ponytail to swipe left and right. "_Did you get something_?"

"She's here somewhere, I know it."

"You said that _five times already_," Miroku pointed out.

"If you hadn't pissed her off…"

"Shut up, _rut_."

"_Don't call me that!"_

"Enough you two," Sango said, cutting in. "Let's focus on finding Kagome… and Kirara." It was hard to miss the way her voice broke as she said her dear neko friend's name.

"We'll find them," Miroku confirmed, his eyes hardening with confidence, the purple in his orbs twinkling.

"_This way_," Inuyasha said before shoving his nose back then. He was about to follow the trail all the way to a big rock but suddenly, he came to a big stop. His ears raised on top of his head, white fluffy ears shifting left and then right. Then, it happened. He felt his heart sink and his stomach churned as a dreaded feeling took over his whole body. It was faint, but there was a voice, begging for help. He was certain there others could not hear it. How could they? He could feel their eyes on him, wondering what he was doing. There was only one problem; it was not Kagome's voice…and it was coming from a completely different direction than what his instincts were telling him.

Except this was a voice that he could not ignore.

He dug his claws into the earth, sending dirt flying around. His hands were completely clenched while the vein in his forehead nearly threatened to pop. Why did it always have to be one or the other? Why could it never be both? Each time a situation arose, he had to pick. Kagome should be in grave danger; they found blood. _But - but_ Kikyo was begging for help… was she losing her body? Her soul? Fangs poke out of his lips, grazing the sensitive flesh. He began tapping his foot, his heart ready to split in two as his mind was covered by a cloud of confusion.

"Inuyasha? What is it?"

"Did you find Kagome?"

They wanted an answer, they were forcing him to choose. He inhaled deeply and then slowly stood up. His eyes lingered upon the big rock, a warmth spreading through his chest and causing it to rise up. Then, he tore his eyes away and tossed his glance in direction of the forest. His amber orbs glistened in confusion and finally, ashamed of even himself, he directed his eyes towards the ground.

"This way."

Nobody questioned him or his rather strange attitude and then began to follow as he slowly headed inside the forest. His speed was not as fast as before and he could not force himself to speed away from what could be Kagome's location. There was a lot of blood. If nobody found her by now… it might be too late already. Kikyo… Kikyo might still have a shot. And perhaps they could use Kikyo's power to find Kagome? It was not like he was giving up on her. He intended on coming up and continuing the search it was just that… kami he felt like a jerk. He wanted to help them both, they both counted on him… but she… she was calling out to him. How could he ignore her call and walk away?

His heart broke and he tore his eyes away from the sights in front of him.

He was lower than low and he was not quite sure how he was going to forgive himself for this one. She was in trouble because of him and now… but.. But he owed Kikyo so much. She also was in trouble because of him and that trouble cost her her life once and he could not let that mistake be repeated twice.

_I'm sorry Kagome._

-E-

A groan.

Then a wince.

Then another groan.

Annoyed, Kagome sighed and leaned back again. Her tiny fingers were wrapped around the white bandage on her wound, spreading blood everywhere. She did not mean to make it worse, she simply wanted to see her injury. She had been quite out of it for a while and she never truly realized how bad it was. Although by the way it was nearly impossible to reveal the wound, she was beginning to think that all of this was an awful idea and that she was in a worse shape than anticipated. She exhaled small puffed breaths, hoping it would give her the courage she required - no such luck. She shoved her teeth in her bottom lip, breaking the skin in an instant, and then she pulled on the feeble fabric.

Blood spilled from her mouth but she ignored it. Instead, she kept ripping the bandage until finally, her injury was revealed to her. And she almost wished it had not. She could not control her expression of disgust as she glanced down at herself. Her top lip curled and she recoiled, dropping the bandage back into place. A nauseating scent filled her nostrils and she held her breathe as best she could. _It was disgusting_. There was dry blood clotting around the wound and some green pus oozing from the left edge. It could not be good…it had to be cleaned. Unfortunately for her, it was not something she could do on her own… and Kouga had yet to come back. Part of her was beginning to think he would never return. He promised but… she did hurt him. She did not mean to - as a matter of fact she rather hurt him now than later…

Except she was wrong.

"Kagome?"

Her head snapped up and she saw him standing in front of the entrance. "I smell blood," he explained.

"Bandages," she explained in as few words as possible.

His eyebrows burrowed and after what appeared to be much hesitation, he took a few steps in. The closer he got to her, the worse the smell got. He rubbed the back of his neck, untangling a few strands of his hair from his ponytail and his pupil dilated. The scent of blood was - not good but there was something else beneath all that. His eyes were squinted by the time he reached her side. He made sure to avoid all eye contact as he kneeled and began to look it over.

"It's getting infected."

She nodded in agreement. She was never going to take antibiotics for granted again. _Never_ again. What wouldn't she give for a nice hospital? She would have been healed by now if she could have made it to the well.

His hands trembled, hovering over her wound while uncertainty took hold of him again. "Is it okay if I -?"

She nodded again.

He retrieved the brown clay vase that was near her feet and brought it close to her injury. Slowly, he dipped his hand in the cold water and recouped the cloth that was inside. He squeezed out the excess water and then gently press the light grey cloth against her injury. At first, it was not too painful but once he tried to get rid of some of the blood and the pus oozing around on her skin, she was forced to wince.

"Want me to stop?"

Kagome shook her head while keeping her eyes tightly shut. She knew it had to be done but it did not mean she was going to appreciate it.

"I'll go fast."

True to his words, he tried to keep up his pace while making sure he was not hurting her more than it was required. All of that time, his mind was running wild. He was better than before but what if it was not enough? Perhaps his people did not have the required skills to deal with her injury? Maybe there was someone else he could go to and obtain stronger plants. He would need to remember about that and asked Miku soon. He did not want Kagome to die from an infection. He saw what it did to humans; their skin would get pale, they would cough and cough until all that came out of their lungs was bright red blood. It was not the fate he wanted for the woman he loved and he would make damn sure it was not going to happen.

Once it was cleaned enough, he dropped the cloth into the vase, water splashing around. Then, he took the edge of the bandage and completely took it off. It was no used putting it back on, it was soiled. He never made eye contact with her, not even when he applied the new dressing. Meanwhile, Kagome barely moved, letting him take care of her without getting in his way.

"Thank you," she said once he was done.

He offered her a quick nod. He was too nervous to speak, too nervous to have a conversation with her. He did not want to screw it up. He had to show her he could be a good alpha male, that he could be everything she needed.

"Kouga - I'm sorry."

He waved his hand, dismissing her apology. She had enough to fret enough and he did not want for her to concern herself with him. He also wanted her to forget about his little moment of weakness. "Don't be. You're pack. I'm always gonna take care of you."

"But," she tried to argue, but he never allowed her to finish her sentence.

"It don't matter. You risked your life, your pack." The other ookamis did not accept her solely based on the fact that he proclaimed her his woman. They were grateful for what she did and they were returning the gesture. She risked her life for them and the return for that was for them to do the same thing.

He wanted to shut up, to stop digging a hole for himself but he could hardly help it. Kouga leaned his body forward, his muscular naked chest threatening to brush against the bare skin of her stomach. She remembered holding her breathe but all she could feel was the heat in her cheeks. He approached her until he was close enough to cup her cheek with his hand. "I'll tell ya one thing. That mutt doesn't love you."

She expected him to say more, to call her his woman or make another speech about undying love but he did not. He surprised her. Instead, he let his thumb brush against her cheek and then he pulled away, resuming his position away from her. There was a ghost of a smile forming on his lips as he grabbed the vase with both hands. "I'm gonna get fresh water," he said as he hopped to his feet. If he stayed close to her, he would want to feel her, touch her and hold her like he had been doing since he found her. Miku was right, he could not treat her as though she was just anyone else.

Once again, Kagome never had a chance to say anything. It was as though he never wished to let her speak. Perhaps he did not want to hear her words? Or did he want her to spare herself the pain? Regardless of the reason, nothing was said. Instead, she was left sitting there while he got out and away from her. She raised a hand, her fingers stretched out, and she wanted to change her mind, she was ready to stop him but the words never made it past her lips. His strut was confident and she felt like she did not have the right to ask him to stay, not after what she told him earlier. In place, her hand remained into the emptiness, her fingers folding on themselves until he was completely gone and she found herself… Alone.

Alone again.

She wrapped an arm around her body, trying to warm herself up. All of that shivering was not helping her with her pounding headache. It was cold with her shirt lifted and her skin remained damp from the cold water he used to clean her injury. She looked out the entrance of the cave, a part of her waiting for Inuyasha to emerge through. He had to be looking for her. He had to know she was injured and he was probably sniffing the whole damn place trying to locate her. He did not know Kouga rescued her meaning he would not stop until he found her. He would not leave her to die by herself in this era… right?

Despite her high hopes, she was starting to lose faith.

What was taking him so long?

And what was that nagging feeling, deep inside her heart?

-E-


	8. The Celebration

A/N: Hey guys, it's been forever. I'm not dead I just - yeah you know the drill. Real life sucks. I'm like done with school though, and got a new job. So there's that! :)

**Enamored**

**Chapter 8: The Celebration**

"How's Kirara?"

"Much better."

She was in no shape to transform and fly all over the place but the neko had improved - a lot more than Kagome had. She had her youkai blood to thank for that. Although, he would be lying if he said it did not worry him. Once Kirara was back in full shape…she would find the others. Or worse. She would take Kagome away from him. It was true that he kidnapped her the first time they met but it did not mean he wanted to keep her by his side against her will. She loved mutt face and she wanted to leave and be with him. Kouga declared her his woman, he said he would come back for her and now none of it meant anything because their relationship was one between _friends_.

Despite all of that, he came to a very clear conclusion; he did not need to force her by his side… she would want to be with him. He took care of her, he loved her. Inutrasha did not even care about her. He was still of the canine persuasion; if he tried hard enough he would find Kagome. The fact that he had yet to locate her meant that he was not trying to find her. That bastard did not deserve someone as loving and kind as Kagome.

"_I_- I hope she can fly soon."

She never saw the flash of hurt in Kouga's eyes because she never meant it in a hurtful way. All she thought about was how much Sango and Kirara probably missed each other. They were together from the start and now, Sango had no idea what happened to Kirara. Plus, it was better for Kirara to be far away from Kagome. She was the reason Kirara got hurt in the first place. If she only went home on her own, if only she did not involve her friend in this… Kirara would be fine and safe with the others. It was all her fault. She would not ask to see her again, not yet. At least she was getting healthier and that was the important part. Plus, she knew Kouga would keep her friend safe. He was a little awkward at time, maybe a bit pushy but he was not a bad person.

"She should be fine." He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice but he was unable to do it.

His heart was crushed and his spirits were completely down. He simply could not comprehend _why_ she refused to see what he had to offer. _No_, he could not dwell on this; it did not matter. She saved him and he was going to save her.

"Good." She swallowed and winced in pain as she spoke the word. "K-kouga?"

"Yeah?"

"W-when Kirara is okay… make her leave."

For a second, it was like he was hit by a brick. She- she did not want to leave with her neko friend? His lips parted and he was dying to ask her why but he refrained himself. Was this not what he wanted? Did he not want Kagome to stay by his side? If she left without Kirara, it meant she was going to stay with him. And yet, none of those thoughts comforted him. He was no fool; he could see the sadness reflecting in her eyes and the way her blue orbs shone with tears. This decision did not make her happy and she was still going through with it. He would not ask, out of respect for her, but he could not be happy. Not when she was this miserable. His heart constricted a little more and he answered the only way he could; he nodded.

She stretched her lips into a small smile. "Thank you."

"Can I get ya anything?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm going to r-rest."

He nodded and then leaned forward. He put his hands on her shoulders, ignoring the iciness of her flesh and then helped her lay down. Once she appeared comfortable enough, he fetched the brown soft furs for her and covered her body all the way to her shoulders. Her injury was healing but he did not want her to do any unnecessary movements if he could help it. She thanked him with a smile and then slowly closed her eyes, her eyelids growing heavy. He watched her for a brief moment, mentally checking that she did not need anything else and then he left her alone. His steps were slow as he exited his cave and he always stared at the ground, never looking back at her.

Once Kagome could no longer hear his footsteps, she opened her eyes. A sigh escaped her lungs and her bottom lip began to tremble. Her faith was gone, completely lost. She tried to keep hope in Inuyasha, in the fact that he would come and help her because - he always did it. No matter how many times he swore at her, screamed that she was useless and he was done helping her… he would come anyway. This time should not have been any different and yet it was. A lot of days went by - and it should have been enough. He should have found her - but he did not. Did something happen to him or did he simply stopped looking? He had to have looked. It was not like him to not even try…

Unless something stopped him.

Or someone.

There was only one name that came to her mind; Kikyo.

The girl was weird and not always on their side but - could it truly mean that she was evil? Could she really turn Inuyasha away from her? He loved Kikyo, that was an undeniable fact but was it enough for him to give up on her? She made the promise to always be by his side but he never did the same. Maybe he had a changed of heart, maybe he decided it was better to go on with Kikyo.

That idiot.

She felt a warm tear slide down the side of her cheek and that was when she decided it was enough thinking. She closed her eyes and buried her head beneath the furs. _Sleep - she needed to sleep_.

Meanwhile, near the entrance of the cave, Kouga was doing his rounds, inspecting everyone's chores and the bounty acquired for the day. As he was looking over some dead boars, he heard some excited footsteps coming his way. He did not even need to lift his head to know who was coming. He sighed.

"Hey what is sis up to?"

"She's sleepin'."

"She okay?"

"She's fine."

Hakkaku nudged Ginta in the ribs, forcing him to pull away. "Hey, what the hell was that for?"

Hakkaku silently pointed at Kouga who had never once looked at them. It was then that Ginta took notice of their leaders' sad features. _Something did happen_. Although both of them knew better than to ask. Things were rather difficult at the moment and they knew that Kagome's _official mate _status was sort of on hold. They knew that Kouga would end up winning her heart but things were a bit gloomy at the moment.

"You know, we should have a feast!"

"Oh yes! A feast. That's a great idea Ginta!"

Kouga narrowed his eyes. "What are you two idiots talking about?"

"A feast! Sister is doing better. I mean we could do it in your cave - or near. Or maybe just wait a couple more days you know. We have to celebrate her! She helped us and now she's overcome her injuries! It's cause for celebration."

"I'm sure it would do lil sis a lot of good," Hakkaku chipped in. Their leader was not the only one with a sad expression on his face. Everyone could _feel_ the pain and agony that vibrated through Kagome's usually chipper aura. Everyone needed a little pick me up.

He wanted to call them idiots and tell them they did not have time for such foolishness but then he stopped to think. They defeated the birds of paradise, the wretched beasts that spent years threatening his clan. On top of that, he found a mate, someone to be by his side for the rest of his life. There was also Kagome's miraculous recovery, one he was thankful for every day. Perhaps they were right. He was so focused on making sure Kagome healed that he forgot about everything else. _His_ people also needed to find a bit of joy and they needed to be thanked for everything they did regarding the war and regarding his Kagome. He might not be in the most festive mood but this was not about him.

"You're right."

Ginta blinked, taken back. "We are?" He might have proposed the idea but he never thought his boss would agree to it.

"Yeah, we need a little bit of celebratin' around here."

"_Yes!_" Hakkaku exclaimed, his fist up in the air. "Don't worry Kouga, we're gonna take care of _everything_."

"Yeah! Hakkaku's right. We'll do everything." They did not even give him a chance to reply. Instead, they rapidly scampered off, leaving a trail of ashy dust behind.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm scared of…" he said, running his fingers through his thick, dark bangs.

He supposed he could trust them with the preparations. They were quite helpful taking care of his woman and they deserved to have a little bit of fun. As the thought hit him, he turned his head to look at the entrance of his cave. Even from all the way out here, he could hear her breathing. It was steady enough to let him know she was probably still sleeping. It was a good thing; she needed her rest. Especially if they wanted to celebrate _her_.

Hopefully it would show her another side to the tribe. Maybe it would even make her smile.

-E-

"Where's Kouga?" she tried, her voice a little raspy.

Her cheeks were burning red and she was staring away at the wall. Ginta could not help the little smirk that stretched his lips as he stared at her. She could say what she wanted, but she did ask an awful lot of questions about Kouga! Nonetheless, he tried to shield away his smugness as he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I think he's putting the final touches on the preparation."

She blinked once. Then, twice. Preparation? For what? It was probably why she had not really seen him in the past few days. At first she thought he might have gotten sick of her and moved on to better things. After all, she was not the best company and she did constantly turn him down. Maybe he saw that all his efforts were wasted and decided that she was not worth it? But this was also a possibility. They were friends. He would not just drop her like this after helping her right? Though what was this special event? Did it have something to do with youkais or the feudal era?

"We're just havin' a little feast," Ginta said as he noticed her rather confused expression.

"A feast?"

"Yeah," he replied with a beaming smile. "We wanted to celebrate our victory and - you gettin' better."

"I'm n-not really better."

"Of course you are! We thought we were gonna lose you!" When he saw the flash in her eyes, his eyes widened in regret. Oh why did he mess up like this all the time? "I mean - we knew you would be fine. I just - you know we're glad you're gettin' back on your feet." He forced a smile on his face.

"I don't - I'm not really hungry or anything."

"You don't have to eat if you're not hungry!"

"I'm - not in a party mood."

Ginta opened his mouth to retort but decided otherwise. There was no reason to push her into something she did not want. She was a little sad at the moment but he was certain that once she heard all the music and smelled all the food she would want to participate. For now, he would leave her alone. Plus, he already spent more time in here than he should have. Kouga simply asked him to bring her new, fresh water along with some food in case she was hungry. Now that he did that, he should really be leaving her side. She did look awfully lonely though - he felt bad to leave her in that big cave by herself. She did not look tired, meaning she intended on staying awake.

"Did ya want me to get Kouga?"

"No, thanks."

Right, that was probably a stupid question.

"Well, if ya need anything, we'll be around."

This time, she turned to look at him. The blush on her cheeks had faded but because she was so pale it was still visible. "Thank you Ginta."

He scared the back of his head. "No problem, sis. You're family!"

On those words, he left her alone. Unfortunately for him, he barely had time to make it outside of the cave. He was grabbed and dragged away. Once he lifted his head, he saw Kouga. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah. Why don't you go see her?"

"Nah, I don't wanna bother her."

"She's lonely."

Kouga turned his head to the side, never replying. He knew she was lonely, he could feel it through his core. The problem was, he did not know how to make it better. It was much easier in the earliest stage when she _needed_ him. Now, it was not the same. He could not be as close to her, he could not be around her as much. And - well, there was that _word_. Friend. He claimed her as his woman and frankly he did not know how to be her friend. He did not want to go back to that state, even if he had to do it. He loved her. She thought he did not know her but he did. One whiff, one feel of her aura and he could tell everything there was about her. Except, he could not make her understand that.

"That's what friends do."

He saw Kouga wince at the word but he did not regret using it. Someone needed to knock some sense into him. If he did not push through his wall, if he did not show Kagome how wonderful he was, he was going to lose her. Ginta was not about to let this happen.

"Shut up."

"But it is."

"Listen -"

"Don't you wanna be the one to comfort her?"

_God fucking damn it. He did._ That idiot knew he did. He was taunting him and Kouga was falling for it. He groaned and he tilted his head forward, shaking his head in frustration. Then, he ran his hand over his face, stretching the skin down. "_Fine,_ you happy now?"

"Very," Ginta said with a grin. Kouga would thank him for this later.

Kouga dragged his feet all the way to the entrance of the cave. His tanned digits tapped the hard grey rock while he tried to convince himself to walk in. What in the world was he going to say to her? If Ginta noticed she was lonely it meant she was not talking much. What more would she tell him? He exhaled loudly and marched himself inside. He saw her laying down in his furs, sprawled out in a way that probably hurt less her injury, a scroll in her hands. He found them in an old box that contained items they retrieved from one of the towns they raided. Of course, he kept that little detail out of the conversation. He did not want her to be reminded of what they _used_ to do. Though it only dated back a few…days?

Regardless, he was a new demon and his pack had new ways now.

Still, he was glad he got them for her since she seemed to be enjoying them.

He almost thought about leaving but unfortunately for him, his aura gave him away. She dropped the scroll down and turned her head in his direction. She offered him a small smile. "Hey."

Kouga smiled back at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's o-okay." She gently pushed the scroll away from her thighs and unto the floor.

"Hm, did the guys tell you about the feast?"

She nodded. And did not look too excited.

"It's probably best if ya don't move too much."

"Yeah."

"How's your wound?"

"I c- can't really move to see it."

"Did ya want me to check it?"

She nodded again. She remembered it was getting pretty infected and she had no desire to die here. Kouga helped her change it more than once and she trusted him with her wound. She grabbed the edge of the furs and pulled them off her body. He quickly approached her and then kneeled down beside her. His fingers were shaking as he grabbed the edge of her bandage. It remained white on the outside which he hoped meant the pus was gone for good. He gently undid it, slowly revealing her injury. A sigh of relief escaped him as he saw that it was all red. It did mean it had not close yet but at least the infection was dying down. The skin remained warm to the touch but he knew it would not go away _that_ quickly. She truly was getting better.

"It looks good," he said with a smile, his fangs poking at his bottom lip.

When Kagome saw the bright, true joy on his face she could not help but join in with a smile of her own. Also, she was relieved that the infection was dying down. Her death was no longer imminent. She might actually make it back home one day.

"Is it okay if I change it? I touched it with my fingers - and they're a little diry."

"It's fine."

He got back up and then rushed to the other side of the cave. He grabbed the vase full of water along with fresh bandages and then he hurried back to her side. He gently removed the old bandage and tossed it on the ground. Kouga then dipped a cloth into the cold water, soaking it through. Once it became dark grey, full of water, he twisted it, getting rid of the excess water. Gently, he began rubbing the crusts of blood around her skin, leaving her injury alone. Sometimes the skin stretched, nearly tugging at her wound, but nothing happened. Once she appeared clean enough, he discarded the cloth. Carefully, he applied the new bandage and secured it around her, being mindful of her body.

When his task was done, he pulled away from her. "Done."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Kouga."

He did not appeared to be the healing type. She knew that whatever he was doing, he learned about it while she was injured. He went out of his way to help her and she was grateful. The first time he changed her bandages - or at least the first time she was awake for it - she found it quite embarrassing but now she trusted him and she knew he was only doing it as a mean to help her.

"We have new clothes for ya." He waited but she did not say anything. "A kimono. If you wanna change."

"I can't -"

"Kagome, I can clothe you." Her words were almost insulting. He was more than capable of providing for her _and_ his pack. His gift to her was not taking anything away from anyone. Even if she saw him as a _friend_ he could take care of her.

She nearly winced from the hurt in his voice. She did not _mean_ to insult him. Then again, she kept forgetting that feudal era traditions and youkais traditions were a mystery to her. She still wanted to refuse but she did not want to insult him. The best solution was to graciously accept what he was offering her. "Thank you."

"Katsumi will bring it to you later." He cleared his throat. "I guess the feast ain't the kind of thing you do."

"I don't - I'm not v-very hungry."

"We have lights and dances."

"I can't gg-et up." That was not a lie. He helped her every time she sat up and every time she wanted to lay down. On her own, she was fairly useless. If she was not, she would have tried to unburden them from her presence a long time ago. Unfortunately, she could not do anything on her own.

"It's in a few days. We could always do it here." Usually the main den was where all the action was happening but for her, he would happily let everyone intrude his home. Even if it meant everything was a mess later on. He was desperate to see her smile. He wanted her to be happy.

"Oh it's okay."

Again, there was sadness in his eyes and this time she felt guilty. He took care of her, he went out of his way for her to have everything she wanted. This feast seemed rather important to him and the pack, despite the fact that it appeared to be a rather ordinary event. Perhaps it was rude of her to keep denying him something that made him happy? She always crushed his hopes many times. Could she do it again? She would not have to move and everyone would be filled with joy. The less she could do was let them have this. Who knew, perhaps a little change of scenery was good for her. She always saw the same walls, did the same thing, breathed the same air. Perhaps she could forget about the guilt nestled deep inside her chest.

"It- c-could be fun."

His head snapped up and his eyes began to twinkle. "Really?"

The smile that formed on her face was true. Sometimes, he acted so rash and rough that it always shocked her to see another side of him. Behind the impulsive man was a child who still wondered, delighted by the little things. It was rather nice and provoked flutters in her chest. "Yeah."

He beamed a grin. "The guys are gonna be happy to hear that." _He_ was happy to hear that. Finally, he was doing something right when it came to her. Everything he said, everything he did so far, was laced with a mistake. He did not prove himself worthy enough, he did not protect her well enough and he did not love her enough. He was unable to show her how he felt about her. But now, he would take his new chance and used it. She _smiled_ at him. She never smiled at him like that before. She was actually happy with him. It made his heart soar with happiness.

No matter what, he could not give up.

Not just yet.

-E-

_"Inuyasha!_"

Sango sighed as once more, she screamed into the emptiness. Inuyasha went ahead by himself in the middle of the night. There was something deep inside of her that told her it was not about Kagome. If it involved Kagome and Kirara, it would include them and he would have never left them behind. No, this was about her - about Kikyo. All this time, she thought he was leading them to their friends, and he was lying. She was so blinded by her worries, her desire to find Kirara that she did not even see the deceit. She was an idiot.

"We should just leave."

"There is no reason to be so hasty to judge my dear Sango," Miroku said as he sat against a tree trunk. "We do not know for sure that Inuyasha is with Kikyo. Perhaps he feared we might slow him down."

She snorted. "I doubt that." She already saw Kagome get hurt over and over again. She was no fool, she knew that Inuyasha dropped everything, no matter what it was, if he scented Kikyo. He must have even side-tracked them. Maybe they were following Kikyo this entire time and he was just lying to them. How could she be this foolish?

"We should not leave. We have been separated enough."

At the thought, tears flooded her eyes but she did not let them fall. Kirara. She was her rock, her anchor and she might be dead. All she could think about was all that blood… Every day they wasted was a day closer to losing her. If, _if_ Inuyasha side tracked them to find his precious Kikyo, there would be hell to pay. Kirara's death would be on him and she did not know if she could be that forgiving. Kirara was her last lifeline, all that she had with her at the moment. Losing her would send her over the edge. She inhaled deeply, trying to chase away the thoughts of sadness. She survived worse than this pain, she could do this.

"If he's not back tomorrow, we leave."

"Agreed."

Miroku was perfectly fine with flirting and letting his hands wandered but lately he kept his mouth shut. Sango's state was fragile and he would not risk hurting her further. They used to be four and now they were done to two. It was no time to be splitting what was left of the group. Plus, Sango already lost everything. He was not sure she could handle Kirara's loss, especially not if she was left by herself. He needed to keep her with the group and keep her mind focus. He stared at her through his long dark purple bangs, but all he could see was her back and the slight shake of her shoulders.

Kagome and Kirara _had_ to be fine.

-E-

The morning began in a chaotic fashion. She barely saw everyone since they were all occupying themselves with their personal chores. The feast was to be during the evening and they were all quite excited, waves of thrill pulsing through everyone's auras. Their joy was a balm over her deep wounds of sadness, soothing away the ache. Everyone's happiness made it impossible for her to let the agony weight her down. It was there, lurking in the corner of her chest, waiting to sneak back up. Her aura was involuntarily swirling with theirs and for once she was grateful for her lack of control on her own energy. The day was pretty much the same and no quietness came unto the sun was low in the horizon.

Then, everyone was away.

She knew Kouga mentioned organizing the feast in his den but it became obvious that it was no longer the case. Then again, she felt it might be best if they were to celebrate without her. She knew nothing of them and they probably wanted to savour the victory with the pack and the pack alone. She was not one of them. If she were, she would have healed a long time ago. Instead, she was here, stewing in her filth and blood. She gave up on waiting for an event that did not desire to attend, and instead returned to her scrolls. Unfortunately for her, life had something else in mind and Kouga came tumbling down into the den, a huge grin plastered upon his features, happiness shining in his eyes.

"Do you trust me?"

The quick words throw her for a loop and she found herself gapping at it. At loss for words, she said nothing.

He repeated himself. "Do you trust me?"

Kouga did not give her a reason _why_ she should not trust him. Why not say yes? "I do."

His grin grew in his size, fully displaying his bright, long white fangs. "I promise, I won't hurt ya."

A shiver pricked her spine but she nodded regardless. What he did next, she did not expect. He slid his body close to her without a warning, leaving nothing but a mere inch between them. His action painted red upon her pale cheeks and she felt the burning of her flesh radiate from her cheeks all to way to her toes. Then, he intensified the feeing. His arms touched her body, rough fingers sliding across her skin, tickling the flesh. She held her breathe while strong digits dug between her shoulder blades, forcing her chest forward, and the other one touched the soft skin beneath her knees. Before she could fill her lungs back up with air, she was no longer touching the ground. Instead, her burning cheek was pressed against an icy chest plate.

His hands were keeping her steady, making sure she did not bend or move or further her injury. It was careful, using a speed that was slow, slower than she ever saw him use. Kouga was all about _fast speed_ and doing everything as quickly as possible. And yet, there he was, barely taking a step at a time. Except, it was a tedious task to focus on that. Her mind was zoned in on something else. The heat of her body, the feel of his hands and the closeness of their bodies. He touched her a couple of times, he changed her wounds but - there was something embarrassing now. She was more awake than ever and his aura was overwhelming leaving her blushing like a little girl. She tried to take a deep breathe, hoping to get her mortification under control.

After what appeared to be an eternity, she felt the cool air on her face and suddenly, her mood shifted. For the first time, she filled her lungs with new air and she was surrounded by freedom instead of the same sight. A smile tugged at her lips and she became to understand why everyone was so joyful. It was the ambiance.

Then it happened. Her face was illuminated by fire flickering into the darkness, colors mixing together to create a show of light. Instead of the bright orange flames, the torches were burning with different shades, creating a hypnotizing scenery. Plus, there was a soft sound of music in the background, although she could not pinpoint the instruments that were used. Most of her sight was blocked by Kouga's arms but from what she could see, it was a success. He suddenly came to a halt and her eyes darted upon. She quickly spotted the patch of furs against a rock. He lowered her carefully and sat her up in a way that did not put more pain or pressure against her wound. Once he was certain she was safe, he pulled away.

"Surprise!"

He knew what he said. He knew it was probably best. Except, he knew she had to be going crazy in that den. The same walls all the time, seeing the same things, stuck in the same position. He knew she was limited because of her injuries but - well he moved her in the past and she was worse off. He decided that if he was careful, he would be able to move her around. He noticed her nervousness at first but then, joy came from her and he was happy he decided to go through with his plan.

"Thank you, K-kouga," she said while staring at the entire place. People were eating, feasting with laughters filling the place.

The last time she saw the whole pack together, they were sad, scary and the place was cold. The den now had an entire new feel to it. They looked like a family, one who loved each other and needed one and another. Plus, it no longer lurked around darkness and boringness. It was bright and full of life. For a second, it made her think about her own home. This was family. They were broken, they lost some of their owns but - _they were happy_. She envied that, she wanted that.

Kouga sat down beside her, his legs crossed and his hands resting on his thighs. He had a grin on his face while two guys fought each other over a pork's leg. A laughter bubbled from his chest and Kagome could not help but stare at him.

"Y-you can go."

He shook his head. "I'm fine here."

"Don't bb-baabysit me."

"Babysit?"

Right, it was easy to forget about the time gap. "Watch me."

"I ain't watching you." He was having a celebratory feast with his pack and the girl he loved was with him. Could there really be a more perfect spot than this? He had everything he wanted around him and he did not intend on trading it off for anything in the world. "You're here. I got everything I want."

He did not say it in a way to woo her, he did not say it to flirt or to declare his undying love for her. He was simply stating the truth as though it was any other fact. He was not even staring at her, he was looking at the scene unfolding in front of him.

Having her was enough. It was just normal for him. He did not know her and he kept putting her first. As if there was only her and no one else. _Because there was no one else_. It was hard to chase away the feelings of betrayal, of hurt, she was feeling towards Inuyasha, who left her behind. Who never came for her. Kouga was harsh, a bit intense, with a mind of his own and sometimes he forced his presence where he was not wanted but… now she could see it. The good person he was. That good thing about him that made her want to help him and save his pack. He was a good man. One who deserved good things. And yet, he just wanted her.

That thought shook her to her core and left her unsettled.

She loved Inuyasha. She said she would stayed by his side.

And Kouga? Well, he vowed to stay by hers.

And for the first time since he proclaimed his love from on top of the mountain…she did not mind.

-E-


	9. Self-Healing

**A/N: **And it's a recoooooooord! It hasn't been five billion years.

Thank you guys for the constant support and reviews. You keep me alive at five in the morning when I'm too tired to think. :)

**Enamored:**

**Chapter 9: Self-Healing**

"Morning!"

Kouga was chipper and his good mood was hard to take away. Ever since the feast, his spirits were lifted and a happiness was constantly bubbling within his chest. He never saw his Kagome as happy as she was that night and it made his heart soar with joy that he was the cause of such happiness. The guys were right; he could make progress as a friend. It was not the method he was used to, especially being a youkai wolf, but he could adapt to his little human mate. If this worked better for her, he would do it this way.

"M-morning." Again, she smiled at him.

His good mood was contagious and each time he beamed a smile at her she had no choice; she had to smile back. His mood improved since the feast and if she were to be completely honest, so did hers. It did her a lot of good to change the scenery a bit and to allow herself to have some fun. She did not eat any of the food, she mostly kept to her spot but it was nice to be included. Kouga stayed by her side the entire time and had the time of his life. He was the kind of guy someone should fall for - and he would make a woman very happy one day. She was glad to have him by her side but - her feelings for Inuyasha could not be tossed aside. She made a promise. And it stood, despite the fact that he nearly abandoned her or so it seemed.

Plus, she did not want to lead Kouga on. It was one of the reasons she did not share with him the return of her nightmares. She had vague memories of him holding her during difficult nights and she remembered seeking his warmth. It would only give him the wrong impression. Although, the problem was that she was afraid to sleep. If she did not get enough rest, she would spend even more time in recovery. In either situation, it was a loss, but she rather suffer than to make him suffer. They finally managed a friendship, though his feelings were still obviously present, and she did not want to give him more reason to pursue her. She had nothing to give him in exchange for his love and devotion.

Well - he did have her _first kiss_. But if she thought about that, she was going to blush again.

"Miku mashed this for ya. It doesn't look great but she says it'll help ya lots," he spoke as he put down a ceramic bowl in front of her.

She peered inside the best she could, catching a glimpse of a white liquid mush. He was right; it did not look appealing. Then again, it was better than nothing and she did require some strength back if she ever wanted to walk on her own again. "Thanks."

"She saw you gotta drink it." He hesitated for a second, unsure if he should hand it to her or do it for her. He would be more than happy to feed her but - he did not want to push his presence on her.

It looked heavy. It was probably best if she avoided those kind of movements for now. She pinched her lips, turning her head to the side. "I ca-an't."

In a flash, he was by her side, holding the cup near her face. She tilted her head backwards and he pressed it to her lips. He allowed some of the liquid to slip into her mouth. Once he felt it was enough, he pulled away. He watched carefully as she struggled to swallow and then she made an expression of pure disgust. He was forced to laugh, the loud sound echoing through the walls of the cave.

"That bad huh?"

She nodded rapidly, coughing a bit as she was unable to wash away the after taste. It was worst than it looked! She did not care what it could do for her; she did not want any of that. It was like death infiltrated her throat. If she had enough strength to puke, she would do it. After gagging a few more times, she settled down and re-focused her glance on Kouga who was still clearly amused by her situation. Though he was shielding his face from her, his shoulders shook from the laughter resonating through his chest.

"Y-you try."

"Oh fuck no."

Instead of begin taken back by his _vocabulary_, she let the smile tug at her lips. He was always quite expressive.

He chortled, seeing her amused reaction. He _really_ did not want to try, especially since _he_ could smell it even more than she could and it stank. After a few moments of ponderation he decided that - for her - he could. He brought the cup to his lips, careful to hold his breathe, and took a sip of it. It barely wished around his mouth for a second that he spat it out.

"_That's fucking poison_."

Unable to hold her laughter back any longer, Kagome joined into the amusement. Unfortunately, the shakes of her body were too much and she quickly found herself holding her side in pain. She tried to hide her wince but Kouga saw it. She put a hand to her side and then turned back to look at him. "I'm o-kay."

Why did he constantly screw up? _Shit_. "Sorry, it's my fault."

She shook her head. He only tried to make her smile, it was hardly his fault at all.

He leaned forward, trying to see if blood was seeping through the clothes. She still wore her kimono from the feast - it was much better than what she had before. Although, he had to admit, her legs appeared very nice in that short kimono she had on before.

"It's fine."

Honestly her wounds were healing. She was much better than back at the feast. Days went by and each time the sun rose, she got stronger. Of course, she still was not strong enough to bathe herself which was quickly becoming a problem. Now she was extremely thankful that Kouga plunged her in the water a few times. It had not been that long and already she could feel the accumulation of dirt upon her skin and the greasiness of her hair. She probably appeared to be a huge mess. She felt uncomfortable, dirty. She would kill for a hot bath, or even just a spring.

"I'll have Miku look at it."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"How d'ya sleep?"

Now that Kagome was more awake and healed, he tended to sleep near the outside of the den. He did not want to impose his presence on her and there was a slight _nervousness_ when he kept too close to her. This was better. He would come back to her side when she needed him. Although, it was hard to chase away memories of her sleeping in his arms. Regardless, it was a sacrifice he had to make for the both of them. Still, despite his distance with her, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. They were a deeper blue than before and her skin was cold to the touch. _She was tired_. Although, he had the impression that she slept well. Was there something he was missing?

"Fin-ne," she replied, gazing at her folded hands.

There was a shift in her scent, a hint of a lie but he did not question it. He felt hurt by the lack of trust but held himself back. Though a possible answer flashed through his mind; _nightmares_. Maybe she never stopped having them? No, that could not be it. He did not hear her toss and turn all night and no whimpers of pain came from her. Maybe he had it all wrong and it was something else entirely.

"Did ya wanna rest some more?"

Yes, but she would not find any peace in her sleep. Though she might manage a small nap.

He came in, thinking she was well rested and now he felt he might have disturbed her. He ignored the ping in his stomach and plastered a smile on his face. "Sleep a little, and I'll be back." _Be back_… it was not like he would be far from her.

"I -"

"It'll be good for ya." Though he did fear losing her, he would never get in the way of her recovery.

He was probably right - if only she could tell him the whole story and share what the darkness did to her. She forced a smile and then nodded. "I'll try."

"If ya need me, just say my name." He knew she was in no position to scream but a whisper was fine. Any words uttered by her, he would hear.

He watched her smile as he pulled away from her, the wretched concoction in his hands. He walked backwards, never tearing his eyes from her form. Part of him hopped he might catch a glimpse of the problem but she gave nothing away. Instead, she slid herself lower into the furs and covered her entire body with the makeshift brown blanket. She closed her beautiful blue eyes, and let herself drift to sleep. He lingered in the entrance a bit longer before tilted his head away. He pressed his body against the rock wall outside the den and exhaled. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach and he could not explain it. His previous joy was washing away and he wondered if his hopes remained crushed.

"Kouga?"

He turned his head only to see Ginta coming his way. "You a'right?"

Kouga nodded. "How we doin'?"

"We got enough meat for a while. Four _more_ cubs on the way."

He grinned at the last comment. Their numbers went down with all the birds of paradise attack and a growing number of cubs was exactly what they needed. As a habit, females had a couple of cubs at a time. Raising their numbers was difficult because they did not go into heat very often. That was a problem he would not have with his Kagome; human females went into heat _every month_. That made up for the fact that most human pregnancy only bore one child. It was easier to try and having another was faster. _Yes_, they would have a large family. If only he could persuade her to drop that no good mutt. He sighed in aggravation.

"Ya alright?"

"Ya no, it's good."

"Is something wrong with Sis?"

"Nah, she's fine. I think."

Ginta arched an eyebrow. "_Ya think_?"

"She's tired."

"Should we get Miku?"

He shook his head. "She'll be fine. I think she just needs to rest."

Ginta nodded in agreement. Kouga knew what was best for Kagome and Ginta intended on following his lead. "Do ya wanna hunt a little?" He knew his leader had been diligently watching over Kagome ever since she was injured. He barely stretched his legs, he did not go for runs and he certainly pushed aside most of his hunting habits.

"I don't wanna leave her."

"Sis is doing a lot better, I doubt anything's gonna happen."

His glance shifted from the entrance of his den to Ginta's face. He promised he would not leave her side again - he could not take a chance that something else might happen. Hunting grounds were too far from the main den. He might not hear her, he might not make it back on time. He made a promise that all she had to do was call him and he would come running. He refused to let her down the same way Inutrasha was always letting her down. She was his first and most important priority.

"Nah."

Ginta shrugged his shoulders. "I'll bring back some fresh stuff for Sis."

Kouga nodded his way, thankful for the gesture. He then pressed his back to the wall and let himself slide all the way down to the ground. Once his rear hit the earth, he closed his eyes. Perhaps he too needed a little nap. During the day, he took care of her and during the night, he took care of his pack. He was a powerful youkai who did not need much rest but he did require _some_. He let the tiredness weight down on him until unconsciousness took him over.

And then he drifted to sleep.

-E-

_"NO! NOO!"_

Screams of terrors tore Kouga from his sleep. He jolted to his feet, his body on high alert. It barely took him half a second to realize those screams were coming from his sweet Kagome. He bolted inside the den and found her tossing in her sleep, completely disregarding her injuries. Her limbs were moving in every direction, her lips parted while she screamed the same words over and over again. Rapidly he threw himself on the ground and tried to stabilize her by holding her shoulders down. At first, he barely used any strength but he quickly realized that it was a mistake. She pushed against him, lifting her scapulas from the ground. She kept kicking, tossing, while the scent of blood assaulted his nose.

She was hurting herself.

This time, he used a bit more force, pushing his palms against her bare skin. It did manage to stop most of the movements. But then, she opened her eyes in a flash. "No!" _Then it happened_. Before he could realize what she did, he was propelled against the nearest wall, his back slamming with a loud thud. Everything around him was a bright pink light while a sizzle burned some of his skin. A disgusting scent of burning was left behind while light continued to surround her. He tried to shield his eyes from the light but all he managed to do was burn more of his arm. He growled at the pain and then pushed himself to his feet. He noticed the light was coming from Kagome, his Kagome.

After a few seconds, the light died down and her full sight was revealed to him. He was so focused on her that he never noticed the people crowding his den. Instead he ran to her side and wrapped an arm around her. She already hurt herself during her tossing - the use of her power was probably not a good thing. He put a hand on her shaky shoulders while he watched her face carefully. Tears were sliding down her cheeks, her body was trembling and her hands were still in front of her, ready to attack anyone. He dared to push down on her arms with his free hand, lowering them back to her legs. She _let_ him. He approached his face to hers, nuzzling his nose in her hair.

"Kagome?"

She was panting, the tears spilling out of her eyes. What did she do? In her line of sight was his arm - his burnt arm. She did this, she hurt him. The horrifying realization release another wave of sadness through her and she sobbed loudly. Kouga arched an eyebrow and moved his hand to lift her chin. He forced her to look into his eyes. His heart broke at the sight of her agony. "Kagome, don't cry. I'm a'right." They were superficial wounds that would heal in no time. His own well being was none of his concern. What worried him most was her state of mind.

"It's gonna take a lot more to take me down," he added with a smirk.

He saw it; the hint of a smile that formed through tears.

"Are ya alright?"

She nodded. There was no point in hiding the truth anymore. "Nightmare." It was not the bird of paradise themselves that haunted her dreams and took her rest away. It was the idea of her death, the pain she felt, the blackness that surrounded her while she slipped away. Every time she thought back to that event, she wondered how she made it alive. Truly, if it were not for Kouga, she would be dead.

"Thank you."

His smile grew in size. "I'd do anything for ya, Kagome."

And he meant it.

"But you sure you alright? You bled."

"I did?"

Another thing he was noticing; breathing appeared to be a little easier. He frowned, his eyes scanning her body carefully. Should she not be in more pain than before? He used his hold on her to tilt her back and expose his side to him. "I'm sorry," he said already as he put his claw to the fabric. Mindful of her skin beneath, he sliced it open, revealing the bandage. He could not risk undoing her kimono and exposing her. There was blood on the bandage but not as much as he expected. He went further and sliced the bandage as well, white strips folding over her skin. _The wound_. His eyes widened. It remained present - and would probably scar over - but it was… almost closed. _What…_

Kagome stared down with him, the same disbelief in her eyes as he had. How could it be? Days ago, it looked nothing like this.

"Ya healed yourself," he whispered.

He knew of the powers of the holy ones. They could purify youkais, which she began to do with him but they could also be used to heal. From the look on her face he guessed she had no idea that she could do it. If not, she would have done it a long time ago. It was also his first time witnessing such powers. His woman truly was one of a kind. Strength, trust and love. She was everything wrapped into one.

Kagome could not believe it - she could do that? _How_? Why did it not work before when she was near her death? Then again, she did not have the best control over her abilities. It did explain the missing crushing feeling on her chest. Did she only heal that part of her wound or did she heal everything? Was she actually going to make it out alive? Excitement and adrenaline rushed through her as she tugged on the kimono, exposing her bandage chest. She tried to pull down, to see the wounds. Unfortunately, she did not take in consideration that Kouga had previously sliced part of her bandage to inspect the wound on her side. _And the whole thing fall apart_. A second later, she felt the cold air brushing against her exposed left breast.

"GAH!"

As the scream left her lips, she slammed her arms over her chest, hiding away her breasts. Fire filled her cheeks as she closed her eyes tightly shut. He did not see it, right? Nope, no, he did not, no she was fast enough, she prevented this from turning into a nightmare. After a few seconds, she dared to raise her head - and found her answer. Kouga's eyes were glued to where her naked breasts used to be exposed, his eyes open wide and very round. On top of that there was a deep blush highlighting his dark skin. _He fucking saw_. She wanted to die, she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. Was that a possibility? More tears formed in her eyes but now they were for a new reason entirely.

He wanted to speak, he wanted to say something - anything. As a matter of fact he wanted to be staring at anything _but_ her chest and yet his eyes remained glued to that location. _He saw her bare breast_ and he was frozen in place. He forgot how to breathe, he forgot how to think. He was completely mesmerized, the reality better than what he could have ever imagined. It was an accident really - he did not even initiate it.

_And then he felt them_. The presences behind them, the many pairs of eyes that might have caught sight of _his_ Kagome's breast. His fangs poked from his lips and he twisted his neck around to look at the crow that was laid out at the rear of them. He watched their eyes and nobody seemed to have seen anything - although they could all sense his and Kagome's embarrassment but nobody was blushing. He let out a warning growl regardless, the sound echoing into the cave and forcing everyone to take a step back. He could feel the redness seeping in his eyes, the rage of dominance and possessiveness drumming inside of his chest, like an animal demanding to be let out. His hands crisps, his own claws digging into the palms of his hands.

After everyone backed away and he calmed down, he re-focused his attention on Kagome. Her cheeks were burning red, most of her face hidden from his view. And he felt hopeless. He understand the embarrassment but was it that shameful?

"Nobody saw," he said, trying to be re-assuring. _Well he did but_…

Her hands were plastered over her face. "Y-you didn't see?"

His mouth opened, ready to give her an answer but he stopped. What was the best course of action? In his mind, she was to be his one day. In hers - it was all about that mutt. He did not want her to be awkward and shy around him - though she had no reason to be. "_No_."

Her head shot straight back up. "You didn't?" But he was staring at her, he was _blushing_.

"Just hm," he gestured to the top of his chest. "Bit. Nothing - hm." He was an alpha male, why was he stuttering like an idiot?

_He did not see the whole thing_. For the first time since the little slip up, Kagome breathed out, relief washing over her. Crisis averted. It would make sense. He blushed whenever she was near, or touched him. He just blushed because he saw a bit of flesh. He did not see the whole thing. Right? It was the truth she wanted to believe or else she might die of shame.

"Do - do you want me to get Miku? For _your wounds_."

She nodded, still struggling to find her voice. She could not even look him in the eyes.

"I'll be right back."

He ran out of the den, stopping when he reached the little group that had gathered at the entrance. "Ya'll have nothing better to do?" The warning in his voice was obvious and everyone quickly dispersed, whispering about a task or some other things. He narrowed his eyes and waited until they all left. His woman felt enough shame without having spectators around.

_He lied to her_. But he did for her. She did not want him to see her bare body - and he had to respect his woman. It did nothing to relieve the pain in his heart, the constant throbbing ache. _Would she have reacted the same in presence of Inuyasha_? That no good mutt that was not even there for her?

He did not want to think about it.

-E-

"Kouga?"

"Hey Kouga?"

The words flew right by him while he paced in the main area. He kept himself away from his den because he did not want to overhear any of the conversations. Yes, he worried about his woman and he prayed that she did in fact managed to heal herself. However, he did not want her to restrain herself because of his presence. He figured that the best thing was to give Kagome and Miku a bit of space to discuss and inspect the state of her injuries. Still, it was killing him to be left in the dark and he was unable to focus on anything else. He resigned himself to pacing mindlessly until Miku came out. Everyone else's presence and aura was completely tuned out and he could not careless.

"KOUGA!"

His hands crisped and his neck tensed as he turned his head to look at Ginta. The lower youkai yelped and momentarily took a step back, sheepishly hiding behind a grin. "_Hey_."

"What do ya want?"

"What was that light?"

"She healed herself."

"And _hurt you_ pretty bad," Hakkaku chipped in.

Kouga's eyes narrowed and it was enough to warn Hakkaku. Yes, the marks were still visible on his flesh but it was temporary. Soon, it would all fade away. His woman was strong and powerful but so was he. It was not like her powers were aimed at _him_, they were forced out by her terrible nightmares and he simply happened to be in the vicinity. Plus, he gladly accepted his injuries since they also provided Kagome with some relief of her pain. _It also led to a very interesting situation_ but he swore he would never mention that. To her or to anyone. He was finally getting in her good grace and he could not take another set back. That and now that she was feeling better… she might want to leave soon.

The thought of it squeezed his heart and for a second, it was difficult to breathe. She would leave him - to go back to the mutt.

And he would be hopeless to stop her. He would try to convince her otherwise but…well every time he pushed an issue it ended up worse for him. Did he truly want to try that again?

He sighed, running his fingers through his greasy bangs. _It had been a while since he last visited a spring_.

His thoughts were interrupted when footsteps echoed through. He jerked his head in direction of the entrance of the cave, waiting for Miku to emerge. And she did. There was a small on her face as she approached Kouga. Their poor leader; he was completely lost to that girl. She did hope he would get what he sought or he might not recover. Oh to be young and foolishly in love. She missed it.

"She's fine."

"Her injuries?"

"Better."

"Can she?"

"She can move," she confirmed before crossing her arms behind her back. "But she's not back on her feet yet." She scrounged her nose. She remembered how disappointed the poor girl was when she learned she could not walk. "They did a number on those poor little muscles." _Humans were weak. "_And the little thing's been laying down for a while now. She's not all that strong."

"What happened?"

"She tried to stand." She shrugged her shoulders. "Couldn't."

His Kagome was proud and filled with strength; it must have hurt her to fail in such a way. However, it was not her fault! "Is she?"

"She a'right. Maybe you should go see her."

The girl's eyes sometimes wandered to the entrance and Miku knew what she was looking for. In this sea of strangers, Kouga was her lifeline. And the boy did take care of her since the beginning. Nope, his hopes were not lost yet.

Kouga glanced at Miku for a brief second, his feet hopping off the ground. It was all the persuasion he needed before dashing inside the cave. Inside, he found his Kagome sitting on her knees, her rear pressed to her feet. She had her hands held out in front of her and she was flipping them around, inspecting them. Since her level of alert increased now that she was better, it took her no time to detect his presence. As soon as she did, she allowed her hands to drop back to her side and put a smile on her face. Uncomfortable, she shifted around but she kept her eyes on him. He stopped once he was near her, giving her a bit of space. _Just in case she felt awkward about previous interactions_.

"Sorry about your injuries," she said, a hint of shame in her voice. She never meant to _hurt_ him. He was the one person who was helping her, keeping her safe and alive from the start. What a crappy way to thank him for everything he did. She already shed tears for his wounds but back then she was in a state of shock. She wanted to apologize properly.

"Nah, it's fine. Honestly. I told ya. It's gonna take a lot more than that to bring me down." Not good. He did not want her to focus on bad things, he wanted to see her smile! "Miku says you doin' better."

"That's one way to put it." Her sentences were whole, no longer scattered but her speed was much lower without bigger pause between her words.

"Hey, you can talk, and move."

"I can't walk." Disappointment was dripping from her voice. She knew it was a gift, that she might have been stuck immobilized even longer but - now that she got a taste of it, she wanted more. The recent change of scenery also did nothing to help her case.

She needed something to cheer her up. He had to be the one to provide her with happiness because he refused to fail her again. A smirk drew on his features and he tilted his thorax in her direction. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" he repeated slower.

His eyes were burning with confidence, a slight of aura of happiness wrapping around him. It seemed that not even his injuries could take away his spirits - and it truly was contagious.

"Yes," she whispered. Because - she really did.

His smirk grew and he bent down to capture her in his arms. At first, she stiffened but once he was back standing on his feet, she relaxed in his hold. _She did say that she trusted him right?_

"Hold on," he warned as he sped through the den.

_She was in for a surprise_.

-E-

Grass ruffled, branches creaking which broke the quietness that surrounded the vicinity. In a flash, Sango jumped to her feet, ready to defend herself from whomever was coming their way. Her chocolate eyes darted into the darkness, waiting for another sign of movement. Then it happened, a few branches were pushed aside, revealing two figures. She held her breathe, lowering herself to the ground to retrieve her weapon. However, before she had the chance to launch an attack, the blackness covering the strangers was taken away and it revealed their identities to her.

"Inuyasha, Kagome?"

Hope soar through her heart, her chest heaving with air.

Only to be crushed.

It was indeed Inuyasha but behind him was not her dear friend. It was Kikyo.

Rage filled her blood, pumping through her body. "Are you kidding me?"

Miroku opened one purple orb, the noises tearing him from his sleep. He tossed his body to the side, focusing his attention on what arose such rage in Sango. _And he quickly saw_. "Lady Kikyo?"

"You left us for _this_? You stopped looking for Kagome and Kirara for her?"

Suddenly all the wrath spilling out of Kagome every time Inuyasha went away made a lot of sense. He ignored everything, everyone…each of his responsibilities for that woman - who was not even a woman at all.

"_Keh_, this is how you thank me?"

"Thank you?"

"I was looking for them," so it was a little bit of a lie. He had to - if they knew he went on Kikyo's trail instead of following Kagome's trail they would kill him. He could not let that happen. He had a good reason for what he did - they had a better chance of finding everyone with Kikyo's help. His nose was good but it could not work miracle. She could be anywhere. Kikyo shared a soul with Kagome which meant they might be able to use that to track her down. They were so blinded by their hatred of Kikyo that they could not see the truth. "I found Kikyo on the way."

"Yes, I'm sure you _found_ her by accident," Sango said bitterly. They delayed their search of Kagome and Kirara for that?

"Kikyo will find them, alright."

"_How, she_'s not even human."

"Oi!"

"Leave."

"What?" This time Miroku and Inuyasha spoke simultaneously. "Leave, now." Her hands were clenched at her sides. "You made your choice. You're not going to help us find Kirara or Kagome. All that matters to you is Kikyo."

"I said she -"

"She's not going to do anything."

This whole time, Kikyo remained completely quiet, not uttering a single word to either defend herself or defend Inuyasha. How could she, thought Sango, she was nothing more than a shell.

"Miroku and I will find them on our own. Without you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" This time, he could not hide the panic in his voice. He lost Kagome, she was the first member of his pack. Now, Miroku and Sango? He was not about to let that happen. Yes, he understood what it might look like but she was interpreting it wrong. Kikyo was there to help. She followed him because she thought she might be able to find their missing friends. They were so focused on their hatred of her that they could not see the truth in front of them.

"You can't find them without me," he added before Sango replied.

"Watch me. I _actually_ care what happens to them."

"I _care_."

"If you did, _she_ wouldn't be beside you."

Sango bent down to the ground and grabbed her stuff. She threw a glance in direction of Miroku, letting him know that he could do as he pleased but she was going to find Kagome - without Inuyasha. Behind her, Shippo hopped along, casting a glare at Inuyasha. _He always knew he was a no good dog_. He always made Kagome cry and Shippo was sick of it. He knew Sango cared for Kagome and would find her. Inuyasha would only hurt Kagome more if he showed up with Kikyo at his side and they did not need that. Meanwhile, Miroku's glance shifted between Inuyasha and Sango but his mind was already made up; he was going to follow Sango.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he retrieved his staff and began following behind Sango and Shippo.

"Where do you idiots think you're going?" he screamed. "You'll get killed without me."

But they kept on walking. They never turned around, they never replied to him.

"_You can't do this without me_," he whispered, his voice shaking.

They actually left him behind like he meant nothing. They rather go on their own than to take him along - and Kikyo. His ears flattened upon his head and sadness filled his wide amber eyes. _How could they do this to him_. His gaze shifted to the left, hoping to get some sympathy from Kikyo but all he found was empty eyes. _There was nothing_. He was alone.

He held back a whimper.

All alone.

Like always.

-E-


	10. Reunion & Heartbreak

**A/N: **I got an update in before 2015. YAY! Happy new year everyone :)

**Enamored**

**Chapter 10: Reunion & Heartbreak**

"Wait, isn't that?"

Miroku tilted his head to the side and nodded in affirmation. "I believe it is Lady Sango."

The wolves' den. Their starting point. Although they had yet to manage to find Kagome and Kirara, Sango could not help but wonder; maybe Kouga would help them? He might be a youkai but he did proclaim his love for Kagome. And unlike Inuyasha, he would not let anything - or anyone - distract him.

"Let's go."

"As you wish."

Inuyasha never ended up following them and Sango was glad. She meant it when she left him behind; he was a terrible friend. Of course everyone knew of Kagome's feelings towards him and _his_ own feelings towards Kikyo. He did not have to love Kagome - that did not make him a bad person. He was free to love whoever he wanted. However, toying with Kagome's heart and refusing to help her in time of needs did make him a terrible person. Kikyo was not in danger but Kagome was. He should have gone after their friend instead.

He made a mistake and she hope he would end up regretting it.

Especially if something bad happened to Kagome or Kirara.

She might travel with him, she might have decided to be his friend but she was still a demon slayer.

-E-

Steam rolled off the warm water, elevating into the sky. The night was quiet, the sun set past the horizon with only hints of orange left in the dark blue sky. Kagome's back was pressed against a large rock while only her head remained above the water. Her long locks were floating around her, wet from the water. Her eyes were closed and she let the quietness sink in while her muscles enjoyed the nice treatment. After the injuries her body sustained, this was like heaven. She never even thought she would find herself in a hot spring but Kouga decided to surprise her. At first, she was shocked - _and wondered how she was going to do it on her own_. But he was a gentleman about the whole thing. He helped her to the edge and once she was sitting down, he left her by herself. After that, it was easy to slide in all on her own.

Of course, it crossed her mind that he _might_ peeked but then she chastised herself. Kouga was many things but she did not think of him as a peeping tom. She got to see his kind side and the warmth of his heart. Plus, she knew he brought her here because _she needed it_. He noticed without her saying a word. She did not even know she needed this. But - this, this was good.

She tilted her head back while a loud sigh escaped her lips.

Her body was tensed - on alert but she tried to relax. She usually felt safe in the forest; there were people and she had her powers. She was often the first one to run in direction of danger - without thinking. She stood up to monsters, she put herself in harm's way and it never mattered. Until now. She never got hurt before, she never almost lost her life during a fight. It never felt as real as it did now. All the sudden, nothing felt safe and no space allowed her to completely relax. _Except Kouga's den_. Now that she was out there again, though not far, she was stressed out. The birds were gone, never to come back, but they haunted all of her dreams and nightmares. She hurt Kouga because of them .

"You alright?"

The sound of Kouga's voice shook her to her core.

He was there, right on the other side of the giant rock wall, enjoying a soak of his own she imagined.

"I'm fine," she spoke against the water.

Kouga popped his lips but did not press the matter further. He felt it; the shift in her scent. It was coated in fear and her heart was racing; she was scared. He thought maybe she saw something but he did not want to dare and cross to the other side while she was naked. Not that the thought was not pleasing - because it was. He took a deep breathe before smacking his back against the rock wall. He thought he might as well enjoy some off time too but he was wrong. How was he supposed to be calm when she was right there? Naked. He was naked as well with the calm water surrounding him. He knew she was tired of being inside the den and he figured this might be the perfect place to take her. It was his own private spot. His people knew not to come across the hot springs.

And he _knew_ none of them would try anything.

Though he could feel some of them nearby - but he knew it was about Kagome's safety. Although some wolves remained silent on the _human_ issue he knew his pack loved Kagome - they were thankful for her sacrifices and her help. They would protect her with their lives. And as long as they did not try to steal a peak, he was grateful for their protection.

"Kouga?"

His head snapped to the side at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

It was strange to have him so close and yet be unable to see him. He was the only face she saw ever since she got injured. His smile, his blue eyes and his brown tail. He was the familiarity she hung on too while she was alone. And there were not enough ways to thank him for everything he did. He might have been nothing more than a stranger but now he was a friend. He was all she had for the time being.

"Anytime."

He felt the shift in her aura and he smiled; he made her happy. It was the first time he shared his personal private spot with someone but - she was worth it. Anything to see her smile. He wanted to be the reason her face lite up, he wanted to be the one to make her eyes shine with happiness. He never wanted to see her sad, he never wanted to be the one to break her heart. Unfortunately he was unable to protect her from that because - her heart did not belong to him. Despite his best efforts they had yet to get past that _friendship_ as they called it. His heart, his soul - it was all hers. If only he could find a way to make her see he only wanted her happiness - that there was no one else for him but her.

He heard the water moved and he knew she was going further from where he stood. He held back a whimper; he wanted her close.

But then - he no longer heard anything. No water splashing around, no loud heartbeat, no - _no breathing_.

"Kagome?" he tried, trying to hide his panic.

Nothing.

"Kagome, you alright?"

He tried to close his eyes and focus but it did not help; he could not hear her breathe. His heart raced and he tried to focus on any other sound that might guide him. Suddenly his eyes flashed opened; she was under water. He did not even think twice about it; he jumped over the rock wall and dove in the other side. His hands found her body quite easily and he pulled her out of the water by wrapping an arm around her waist. He ran them over to the edge of the water, pulling her body along with his, out of danger. She laid sprawled beneath him, her body soaked and naked. He pushed his hands in the grass, ripping weeds along the way, and pushed his own bare body off of hers. Panic soar through his icy blue eyes while he inspected her, trying to find an injury.

She blinked.

No blood, no wounds. She was not even struggling for breathe.

_"Yo-_you weren't breathing."

"I slipped." She was stunned - even shocked. Words did not make it to her mouth, thoughts did not process. One second she was under water, unable to find the strength to come back to the surface and the next his warm body was pressed against hers. There was something even warmer, _hard_ even, digging into her inner thigh. A rock? No, a rock was cold. She shifted as it poked at her and then he _groaned_.

_Oh -_ oh! NAKED! NAKED! They were _naked_. Panic raged through her heart, the poor organ beating a lot faster than it should. She tried to turn around, escape this, but her body and muscles were too weak. Instead she simply _wriggled_ beneath him.

He needed her to _stop_ moving so goddamn much. She was - oh _kami_. Her soft, jiggly, smooth inner thigh kept rubbing against his erection while he tore his eyes away from her face. He needed to move and now. He did not think - he did not even consider the possibility that she was naked! As he tried to pull himself away from her, he was graced with a sight better than ever. He might have seen her breast very briefly earlier on but this - this was _both of them_ in front of him. Bare. They jiggled with every movements she made, the large mounds bouncing, begging to be touched. And her soft dusty pink nipples - _hard_.

_Hard_ was a bad word.

He did not think twice about it as he tossed himself in the water and submerged his whole body. He wanted to stay under water and die. First of all, Kagome would never forgive him for this indecency, no matter how much he intended on claiming he did it all to save her. Second of all - how was he ever to forget the sight of her chest or the feel of her skin against his hard cock? He could not. He would not. It would plague his every dream, haunt his every nightmare until he became insane. Even now, the ache inside of him was barely tolerable. Friend. He was a friend. _Fuck the word friend_. He hated that word, he hated everything that had to do with friendship. _He wanted to fuck her_.

Finally, he pulled himself out of the water. He kept his back turned to her because he knew she probably did not have a chance to make herself decent yet. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, his cheeks a bright red color.

Kagome wanted to be furious and she wanted to yell at him to _sit_. But, obviously that would not do any good since _he was not wearing the necklace_ and second of all - he never meant to peek. It did not mean she wanted him to take a good look at her body and she - oh god, she felt, it brushed up against - and the -_ yeah she never ever wanted that to happen_. But neither did he. He had plenty of chances to steal a peek and he never did. It was her fault for slipping - he was only trying to help her. If she repeated that enough time, she might end up alright with the whole thing - hopefully. _Oh god_. He laid naked on top of her with this - _she was never going to forget that_. She was - she only got her first kiss recently and now - now this happened.

Why was her life this screwed up?

"Kagome, I didn't mean to - you weren't breathing. I called out for ya… I didn't hear anything!" Still, she remained silent. "If I - I mean I didn't try to look. I just wanted to get ya out…"

She wanted to sink into the ground and disappear forever but now she felt guilt settling in. She took pity on him; he was in the water, rambling, trying to apologize to her. He clearly felt bad and she did not want him to feel that way. _There were no bad intention behind his action_s. Despite the fact that she wanted to say he was a pervert - she could not bring herself to do it. Instead, she used the little strength she had and reached out for her kimono. She winced in pain as she dragged it closer to her body. If there were going to have a conversation she wanted to be dressed. This was the second time she flashed him and if it happened another time she might die. She already wanted to die. Someone saw her naked body.

Someone was naked on top of her.

Oh god.

She tried to chase the thoughts away as she struggled to put her clothes on. Once she slipped it on, she kept it closed with her hands instead of finding the obi; it was too far and she did not have the energy to do it.

"I'm dressed."

Of all the words he expected her to say, those were not on the list. He dared to turn around, making sure the water remained above his waist; he did not need to embarrass himself again. He lifted his gaze from the water and looked at her. Her hair was down, soaked by the water and framing her face. Her pale cheeks were bright red while she avoided his gaze. She was covered, the kimono covering her sweet flesh and though he was grateful, he missed the sight of her. _No_ that was a terrible thought. "I'm sorry," he tried again.

"It's hm, it's fine. I - thank you for saving me."

Again. He did not expect her to say that. What was he supposed to say? Thank you for letting me see you naked _again_. Even though he lied about the first time? There was no way out of it. "I barely looked."

"We don't have to talk about it."

She did not want to talk about it. She wanted to pretend it did not exist - just like the first incident. Why did she always end up in compromising situation with Kouga? Out of all people.

"You wanna go back?"

She nodded.

He was about to step out of the water when she shoved her hands in front of her face. "You're hm, you're still - _yeah_."

Right. Naked. He did not have problem with his body or his nakedness. He was a very attractive male and he was not ashamed of what he looked like. However, he felt like Kagome would be shamed further. She did freak out when she felt his naked body against his. Because he was not that mutt and she wanted the mutt. It was who she wanted. Although the event had taken a toll on his hardness, this completely killed it; Inutrasha.

"I'll get my clothes," he said before speeding away from her. The gush of wind blow her hair away and her kimono open. A mere seconds later he was back, fully dressed and she breathed a lot easier. He approached her awkwardly, unsure how to proceed.

He needed to lift her up and carry her since she could not walk on her own yet. However, he was quite convinced that it would not be pleasing option. At this point she probably wanted him as far as possible - not touching her. He popped his lips and sighed as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. "I - I need to carry you."

Fire burned through her cheeks and blue eyes focused on the long, luscious green grass. "Mmhmm." All she had to do was _avoid_ looking at him. That was easy right? Her body hardened as he slipped his arms around her knees and then on the small of her back. He lifted her off the ground and rapidly began to head back to the den. For the first time, she felt the sweatiness of his palms and the thundering of his heart.

_Kouga was nervous_.

He was always confident, pushing through even when there was no hope. She never gave him any indication that she was interested in him and yet he pursued her. He _proclaimed_ his love on top of a mountain. All she did was help him and his people. She did not send any signals and she did not return his affections. She even _slapped_ him. There was no way to be more clear but it did not shake his confidence. But now? Now he was nervous, his voice lost its cockiness and he was shaking. His facade was gone and she could see a glimpse of who he was underneath all that cocky act. At least it did confirm that he was not a pervert; he would not be nervous that he saw her naked, he would be acting like Miroku.

She made sure to keep her head away from his chest, keeping some distance between them. Kissing, nakedness, breasts? How did things unravel so fast and so quickly? A little while ago she was a sixteen years old who had never kissed a boy and who was hung up on someone who loved a dead woman. Now? Now she was kissing wolves and - showing off her nakedness everywhere. Her face burned brighter red and she tried to shield it away from prying eyes by smacking her hand over her face. She felt his fingers crisped around her and she wondered if he thought it was his fault.

He tried to peek at her but he was unable to do it in a subtle way. There were so many scents coming off of her and he did not even know where to begin deciphering them. There was the shame, coating her whole body, and a hint of nervousness, which he could tell by the slight quiver of her legs. There was something else; a warmth? Vanilla? No, no, it was _it smelled good_. He smelled it before - when _he kissed her_. Arousal? She was aroused? Because - when they - it - what? This time, it was his turn to turn red tomato. _Kagome was aroused_.

This was going to be a long trip back.

The entire trip _was_ indeed long and awkward. Kagome kept quiet and so did Kouga since neither of them knew what to say. Fortunately for them, a situation arose which prevented them from entering the den. Instead, they were stopped at the entrance by Ginta and Hakkaku. At first, they ran in direction of the pair with smile on their faces but one they got close, their smiles faded away. They frowned while looking back and forth between the two. The mixes of scents made it difficult to keep track to what was happening. However they were quickly shut up when Kouga offered them a rather silent glare. They knew better than to piss him off. They would find out more later.

"We have visitors."

Kouga arched an eyebrow as he put Kagome down on the ground carefully. She held his arm for balance and waited for him to ask the question. "Who?"

"Kagome's friends."

Kagome felt her heart race and suddenly her eyes widened. Her friends? Sango, Miroku and _Inuyasha_? They managed to track her down, they actually found her!

"The monk and the other," Ginta added.

"Oh and the kid."

She wanted to ask but she did not. It was not about Kouga, it was about herself. She did not even want to know because it would break her heart. Why would he not be there? Why would he not come for her? She did not want to hear the answer and so, she would not ask the question.

"Inutr- Inuyasha?"

For the first time, Kagome turned her head to steal a peek at Kouga. Was he asking because _he_ wanted to know or was he asking for her?

"Nope."

And that was when her heart broke. She wanted to drop to the ground but she held herself up. Her fingers dug into his skin but he did not even flinch. Inuyasha abandoned her? No, no. Wait, she could not freak out like this when she did not know what happened. There was an explanation right? There was always an explanation. If the others were there - something was holding up Inuyasha. Or maybe he just did not want to come to Kouga's territory. He was avoiding a fight right? Yes, that was the reason behind his absence. She simply needed to go see her friends - _and face Sango_. She would never forgive her for hurting Kirara. At least she was alive. No, she needed to reunite the two. Then, she would put distance between herself and her friends.

That was the plan.

Kouga tried not to stare at Kagome; her nervousness was coating her entire scent. There was also a heavy amount of sadness which he guessed had something to do with Inuyasha. He asked for himself and a bit for her. He wanted to know if he needed to prepare himself. If Inuyasha was here - he would lose her. Even the fact that her friends were present was dangerous. Until now, it was the two of them and it was much easier to become her _friend_ and get close to her. Now, she would return to her pack and he would - _she would leave him_. He adjusted to having her in his life and he did not want to see her leave.

Not yet, not when things between them were this uncertain.

But then he noticed that Kagome was not moving. She was not heading in direction of her friends, she was not trying to pull away from him. "Kagome?"

"We should go right?"

But her lips were twitching and the smile was forced.

And he did not say anything.

"Yeah."

He lowered his body so that she could toss her arm across his back and hold on to his shoulder. He put his own arm around her waist, thankful that they were both distracted from the event that occurred earlier, and he helped her walk. He would rather scoop her in his arms but he felt this might be a bit more appropriate and less stressful for her. They walked slowly, her heart beating faster and faster with each step they took. _She was dreading_ this moment. She did not want to see her friends. And she did not ask about the stupid dog. What was happening? Did he miss something? Did- no could it be possible that she did not want to leave with her friends? Did she want to stay with him?

No, he could not get his hopes up. Especially not after that incident.

No, no, no.

"KAGOME!"

And then, a brunette run over to Kagome, throwing her arms around her and unfortunately sending her flying on the ground. Kouga's grip on her was not solid enough and she was barely holding on to him. She slipped and hit the ground with Sango on top of her. The demon slayer panicked and jumped on her feet, eyes wide open. "Kagome?"

His control slipped. Kouga growled and stepped between the two of them, his instincts screaming at him to protect Kagome from this _demon slayer_. Unfortunately, Sango was not scared away by a youkai's growling. Instead, she opted for a defensive stance, her eyes narrowed.

"I'm fine!" Kagome replied as she felt the tension rise. It was an accident and she did not need anyone else to get hurt because of her. Kirara was enough. "_I'm fine_," she repeated when nobody moved.

Kouga felt his tail twitch in anger and rage bursting through his chest. _She told him to calm down; _he had to push down his instincts and he had to do as she said. Despite his fangs poking at his lips, he removed himself between the two girls. Then, he dropped to his knees, observing Kagome and making sure she had no injuries. "Ya alright?" he whispered.

She nodded. "I can't get up." She did not want Sango's help; she owed her. Kouga - it was just easier with him. Despite the awkwardness between them.

He put his arms around her and lifted her from the ground. Sango remained a bit on the defensive but she did move out of the way so that Kagome could make it on her feet. Finally, Kagome stared at her friend. "Kirara is fine."

A wave of relief washed over Sango and her knees buckled. "S-she's with you?"

Kagome nodded. "They found her. They healed her. She's a bit injured but she's okay." She was healing a lot faster than Kagome was - despite the little magic trick she did on herself earlier.

Sango felt the tears that came to her eyes and she let them stream down her cheeks. Miroku put his hand on her shoulder and she knew there was nothing perverse behind the gesture; he was simply bringing her comfort. She thought she had lost two friends at one and after everything that was taken from her, she thought she would not survive it. She was wrong. _They were alive_. And no thanks to Inuyasha. It was a good thing they decided to search on their own or they might have never found her.

"K-kagome, what happened?"

She was an idiot and she put everyone in danger. That was what happened.

"Fucking bird of paradise attacked them," Kouga answered for her.

"Didn't they all die during the fight?" Sango asked as she could only imagine the kind of injuries Kirara and Kagome sustained.

"Apparently there was one bastard left. It's dead now."

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes_," he bit back, insulted.

"Kirara is in one of the dens," Kagome supplied. "Kouga?"

"Eh, yeah," he replied, caught off guard. "Let me show ya."

He was not too keen on having strangers in his den but they were not strangers; they were his woman's friends. If she wanted them here, they could be here. Plus, it might do her some good. Until they took her away… but he would not think about that yet. He could not. Kouga was about to help her walk when she stopped him.

"You go ahead, it'll be faster. Ginta and Hakkaku will help me."

His gaze shifted from her to the two wolves behind her. He trusted them and he knew they would not try anything but he did not like the thought of someone else taking care of his woman. Still, his shoulders slugged in resignation and he nodded. "Follow me," he told the monk and the demon slayer as he began to lead the way.

Kagome stayed behind, keeping her balance by leaning on a nearby rock while Ginta and Hakkaku approached her, ready to help.

She did not want to do this. She did not want to face the truth that awaited her over there.

-E-

Sango was sitting near the fire with Kirara sleeping on her laps. She was weak and would probably not fly for a while, but she was warm and breathing, and that was all Sango could ask for. Plus, the wolves did treat her nicely and she was grateful for that. Miroku was sitting nearby, having a discussion with two males ookamis. Kagome - Kagome was silently resting against a rock with Kouga by her side. Sango did not fail to notice the closeness between those two. Kouga did everything Kagome asked of him and Kagome was not put off by his presence. Last time she saw the two of them together, Kagome was quite uncomfortable by his advances but that was no longer the case.

She had gotten bits of the story from Kouga. He told her how he found them, how they had been doing and Kagome's miraculous healing. Though she was clearly in no condition to walk. She needed more time and transporting her back to the well was clearly not a good idea. She was good here, with people looking after her; she did not fear for her safety. And now, they knew where she was. There was one thing that was left unsaid and though Miroku told her not to say anything - as it might upset Lady Kagome, Sango was dying to say it. Why should she hold back? The only person that was saved from this was Inuyasha, not Kagome.

Fortunately for her, Kouga asked the one question that allowed her to let all of her rage out.

"What about to the dog?" If he could not insult him, then he would at least find ways to _not_ say his name.

Kagome stiffened, Miroku stopped talking and Sango turned her head to look at Kouga. It was now or never. "He had a choice to make, he chose wrong."

"Now Sango," Miroku began.

"No, he knew _Kagome was injured_," she snapped at Miroku. "We found the blood," she said, focusing her attention back on Kouga. "We knew they were both injured and - _and he left_."

"Where did he go?" Kouga asked with an arched eyebrow. What could be so much more important than finding Kagome?

"He went to see Kikyo." Her words were whispers, uttered with a broken voice. She thought that might be it but she preferred to believe in other options. One that did not involve him turning his back on her.

"She wasn't hurt," Sango confirmed bitterly. "He just went to see her because he couldn't help himself."

"Sango…" Miroku chastised.

"_No_. I'm not going to make any excuses for him! He didn't know that Kagome and Kirara were safe! They could have been dying somewhere and he still went to see her." Her chest was heaving with her wrath, her hands trembling at her sight. If it were not for the wolves she would not be holding Kirara. Inuyasha would have doomed them both. She did not want to see him and she did not want to talk to him. Ever again. "We left him with her." She sighed. "He said he brought her along so that'd help us find you."

"I'm sure Inuyasha had his reasons."

"No he didn't. He's an idiot. Kikyo doesn't do anything for him. She betrays us, she - _she's not even human_."

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone remained stilled as Kagome let out of a deep breathe. Her weak body trembled as rage seeped into her blue eyes. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes began to shine with tears. Did they think this was fun? Did they think she wanted this? Here they were arguing about how little she meant to Inuyasha. About how he rather _see_ Kikyo and let her die. She always knew she was not the one in his heart but she never knew it went that far. She could die and as long as he had Kikyo it did not matter to him. It only mattered when Kikyo was not around. She was his precious jewel detector and that was how little he cared for her. She poured her heart out to him and though he did not return the feelings, he made it sound as though he wanted her by his side.

It was a lie.

She felt a few tears drip from her chin and that was when the desire to flee filled her. She grasped the rock as best as she could and tried to make it on her feet. She stumbled a bit but after her small struggle, she stood straight. And then it went downhill. Despite her best attempts at walking, she leaned forward and crashed on the floor. Immediately, Kouga was by her side, ready to help her. She pushed his hand away and kept trying on her own. Unfortunately, he did not get the message and kept on trying to help her.

"Stop!"

She could do it. She could walk away from this nightmare - flee this hell.

He put his arms around her. She tried to fight him, she wrestled against his hold but he was much stronger than she was and did not stand a chance. Next thing she knew, they were speeding through the place. Then, he dropped her and as soon as she felt the furs on her legs, she knew where they were; his den. The moment his grip was looser on her she used what little strength she had to push him away by pressing her palms to his chest. He barely even wavered.

"Leave," she begged, feeling her impending doom lurking above her. She was going to break down and she did not want to see anyone.

She spent all this time thinking he was looking for her. She thought he was in a panic, probably bursting through villages and roughing up some villagers for answers. Instead, he went looking for Kikyo - the love of his life. She promised to remain by his side, to help him choose life instead of death with Kikyo. She did so knowing that he would never love her but she was okay with it. She wanted to help him and to save him. It was a good enough for her - because even though he did not love her, Inuyasha cared for her. He rescued her, he put his life in danger for her - and that was soothing. But not anymore. Now that Kikyo was fully around, she was not worth anything. She took all the insults, all the burst of rage and his bad attitude - because she knew there was something good inside.

She was wrong.

He would have let her die.

He did not care.

When he was faced with the choice of helping her or seeing Kikyo - he picked Kikyo. This was not about who he wanted to chill with or spend his evening with - this was about her life. And still, he could not choose her.

_And she broke down_. She leaned into Kouga's chest, heavy sobs tearing from her throats. She shook, she wet his chest and she let out sounds of pain while he wrapped his arms around her. She sought his warmth and he rested his head on top of her. His heart was breaking as she shattered in his arms. His Kagome was never supposed to feel like this; he never wanted to know what pain was. He was unable to protect her from the attack and he would hate himself forever because of it. But this, this he could fix. He did not have to let her suffer. He would comfort her, he would bring her joy and love until she no longer felt the pain caused by that asshole. He knew he was no good for Kagome.

"Kagome," he whispered against her hair.

She kept on crying, her heart breaking, her body breaking into a million pieces. There was no room for rage in her heart, it hurt too badly. She was certain someone had ripped her heart out of her chest and stumped on it. Maybe that would be better. At least that way she would be numbed out to the pain. She would not feel this. _It hurt, it hurt so much_. She wanted to die from the pain. She needed relief from it.

"Kagome, I would never hurt you."

He squeezed her tighter, hoping to transfer her agony to himself. "He doesn't deserve this. He ain't worthy of your tears."

He was supposed to be her friend. Nothing else.

"I'd never make ya cry. I'd love you every day. _Only you_."

He did not know her, her history or anything but she believed him. She knew he would never look at another; he was devoted. But he was in love with the thought of her, not who she actually was. It was not real.

Kouga began to kiss the top of her head while lowering his arms until they were wrapped around her waist. "Please, Kagome." He was begging; he did not beg.

What could he do? How could he fix what Inutrasha destroyed?

He used his body to tilt her backwards, revealing the top of her head. He allowed himself to drop kisses on her forehead, then the tip of her nose. The face was sticky, covered with the many tears she shed. He lowered himself until his nose was pressed against hers. "Don't cry."

But that only made her cry harder. He cupped her face and her lack of balance tipped her forward. "Don't cry," he whispered.

And he kissed her.

_Then she kissed back_. And his heart stopped.

-E-


	11. True Feelings

**A/N:** See? I'm nice! I didn't leave a cliffhanger and then didn't update for three months! There is hope for me yet!

**Enamored**

**Chapter 11: True Feelings**

"Where's Kagome?"

"In the den." He tried to keep the fluster off of his cheeks but he doubted it worked.

"Isn't she coming?"

Kirara was sleeping on Sango's lap, letting herself be surrounded by the warmth and scent of her _family_. Sango was petting her gently, mindful of the few injuries that remained. She knew Kirara well and the left over wounds indicated that the damage had been quite severe. The wolves had done a good job healing her and despite her initial opinion of them, she was grateful for their help. She did owe them one.

"She said she wasn't feeling well."

He was only delivering a message. He was not here to have a conversation; he was not even sure he was capable of having a conversation at the moment. Kagome kissed him. She _actually_ kissed him. She was not sick, she was not feverish, she simply wanted to kiss him. When he had felt her lips move against his, it was like he had died and gone to heaven. After all this time, after all of his efforts, she was finally returning his feelings. He thought it would never happen, especially not after he witnessed her naked body but _finally_ it was coming true.

"Where is she?"

Sango delicately lifted Kirara and put her on Miroku's lap. "Where is Kagome?" she repeated as she hopped on her feet.

"Den to the left." There was no point in denying the demon slayer access to his woman. Plus, despite Kagome's weird attempt at avoiding them, he was certain she needed to see her friends. Especially after the many tears she shed because of that fucking asshole. And they needed to see she was alright. He could understand that.

Sango walked past him as he made his way further into the den. He sat near the monk and crossed his legs. He had witnessed conversations between two females and he wanted no part of it. Instead he glanced at the monk.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Lady Kagome and Kirara."

"She's my woman. Of course I'm gonna take care of her." He could call her that again now that she had shared a kiss with him.

Miroku arched an eyebrow. Despite having spent all that time with Kagome, he was still calling her his woman? He was sure that Lady Kagome would have displayed one of her fit of rage by now. She did have a rather low tolerance for the hanyou. Then again, he was an idiot most of the time. If she tolerated such words coming from Lord Kouga… They had seemed awfully close when Sango and him met up with them. Could it be that Kagome's heart _shifted_?

"She can't walk yet," Kouga said, breaking the silence. "Can't take her yet."

Neither of them could carry her and he was not about to let her _near_ dog breathe. It meant that the only safe place for her was here, in the den - with him.

"Of course. We would not want to injure her further." He wanted to keep her with him. Miroku did his best to hold back a smile while he began to pet Kirara. Kouga was not a bad choice; he did love Kagome _and_ Kagome alone. He was strong, perseverant and unlike Inuyasha, he did not toss insults her way every five seconds. Though Kouga did not know about Lady Kagome's strange origin and he probably could not travel through the magical well.

He took a quiet sniff at the monk, only to confirm through his scent that _he was not_ lying. At least there was one less stress. But wait, if they did not want to take Kagome, did that mean they intended on staying? He could not really deny their request, especially if Kagome supported that decision. However, with them in the way - it might complicate things further. Kagome was no longer crying when he left her. Though they did only share _one_ kiss. She wiped the rest of her tears and snuggled up the furs. At that point, despite his intense desire to remain by her side and cuddle her, he came to check on her friends. He feared they might roam around the place if he did not. Though now, all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms.

His woman.

"Did he really abandon her?"

"The situation was _unclear_." Miroku knew that deep down, there were good intentions behind what Inuyasha did. Granted, it was a very stupid decision, but he did not do it to hurt Kagome. Inuyasha simply never thought things through. He did want to find Kagome - with Kikyo's help. Obviously, he knew the situation was dire and Inuyasha's choice could have put their friends' lives at risk - hence why he left with Sango. Still, Inuyasha never saw it as him abandoning Kagome.

"Well, did the bastard leave her to die or not?"

"He didn't think he was."

Kouga scoffed. "He doesn't deserve her you know."

"I might be out of place saying this but _Lady Kagome_ is not a prize to be won." He knew canines could be quite competitive. Inuyasha and Kouga were two stubborns _canines_ butting heads. And Kagome seemed to be the prize. Although he knew both had feelings for her - they used each other to prove they could have her. In the end, the decision came down to Kagome. More often than once he had seen her run back to the inu in spite of how he treated her or the fact that he broke her heart by completely disregarding her feelings. He did not know if that was going to change.

Kouga's top lip quivered, showing a hint of his fangs. "_I know that_. I wanted her way before I knew that - _he_ wanted her." He had no idea of the relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha when he kidnapped her. That did not stop him from proclaiming her his woman.

Miroku raised his hands in peace. "I am only asking if she _knows_ that."

Kouga never hid his dislike for Inuyasha. Though, he had made an effort the past little while. He was his rival; how could he like him? Plus, he was no good for Kagome and he kept on hurting her. He would never let her shed tears over that idiot again. She was his to protect now and he would make damn sure she would be happy for the rest of her life. Even if that meant ripping that idiot's head off. _Though_, Kagome would not like that.

"She knows."

Kagome knew he loved her. He showed her over and over again. And she had to know; it was why she kissed him.

He wanted all those humans to leave so that he could be with her again. When they arrived, he was convinced he would lose her. Now, he was not certain. She had feelings for him, she might decide to stay. Though, he had to say she was a strange one. He never knew what to expect from her.

"Hm, Kouga?"

He turned his head in direction of Hakkaku. He was holding in his hands a _fox_? THE LITTLE RUT!

"Let me go, you big brute!"

"Shippo?" Miroku asked with a frown.

He had initially been following them, leaving Inuyasha behind as well. Somewhere along the way, he had screamed about a genius idea. Next thing they knew, Shippo had turned into a giant pink ball, floating into the sky. He mumbled something about being _right back_. At first they had wanted to go after him but, without Kirara, they could not catch up to him flying away. They had hoped he would be alright and it seemed their assumptions were correct.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Shippo put his hands together and then blue flames formed in his palms. "FOX FIRE!"

Panicked, Hakkaku let go of the tiny thing, causing Shippo to land on the ground with a proud smirk on his face. That would teach them to mess with him. He wiped off the dirt off of his shoulders and bounced in direction of Miroku.

"I did it."

"You did what?"

"I left a fake trail for Inuyasha."

He knew that he would try to follow them eventually and he did not want him to find them. Inuyasha betrayed them and hurt Kagome again. Granted, she did not know about it yet but still. She left because he hurt her and now he was hurting her _again_. If _she_ decided to forgive him, fine. Otherwise, he would not let him get near her. He made sure to leave a few obvious hints behind, leading the stupid hanyou in the wrong direction. Hopefully they would have time to get Kagome out before he figured out what Shippo did.

Miroku chuckled and shook his head softly. Inuyasha was going to be _pissed_.

"Wait. You did what?" This time, it was Kouga's turn to ask the question.

"I didn't want him to find Kagome."

Huh, maybe he did like the kid after all. Any enemy of Inuyasha was his friend. "Good job, kid."

Shippo was stunned and managed to stutter. "Hm, thanks." It was hard to believe it was the same wolf that tried to eat him not that long ago.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked, turning his head around. "And Sango?"

"They're in the den over."

Shippo did not let them say another word as he hopped out and rushed towards where Kagome was. He had been so worried about her and the fact that she was alright relieved him. It was no thanks to Inuyasha. He was glad he was leading the idiot on a false path. He did not deserve to know Kagome was fine. He was glad _Kouga_ found her. He might have been scary the first time he met him but at least he was taking good care of Kagome. He could not ask for more than that.

Meanwhile, not too far from them, Sango was kneeling beside Kagome. There was something off about her; she refused to look her in the eyes, she was uncomfortably playing with her hands and Sango could tell she was hiding something.

"You seem to be healing well."

"Kouga and his pack have really done a good job."

"Kirara is well too."

"I'm glad."

Sango arched an eyebrow; she almost made it sound as though she had not seen the neko. "Did you not know?"

"I- I couldn't really walk so -"

"Kagome, it wasn't your fault."

At those words, tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them spill out. "It was a very sudden attack."

"Nobody could have known."

Why was Sango making excuses for her? _She_ let her temper get the best of her and it led her to make a stupid, harsh decision. "I shouldn't have left."

"Inuyasha was being an idiot_." _And as soon as the name past her lips, Sango regretted it.

"He's with Kikyo?"

"Kagome…"

"It's fine. I knew - I knew it."

She also knew the choice would be Kikyo. Though she never planned that such a choice might cost her her life one day. It was a good thing Kouga found her. _Kouga_. He was going to hate her. She never meant to kiss him - she could not believe _she kissed him_. It was not the first time even if all the other times were by accident. He even saw her naked for crying out loud. But he took good care of her and he made sure her wound was clean, that she was fed - everything. She should not have done that. He had finally stopped calling her his woman and she valued his presence by her side. When everything was dark, he was there. She was proud to call him her friend. And then she kissed him. She had been so upset - still was.

Inuyasha broke her heart.

He made the one choice she could not come back from. There was the option of standing by his side while he clearly had no regards for the value of her life. That option would make her an idiot. They were supposed to be friends at least but perhaps even that was too much to ask of him. And now, she did not know how she was going to face him, or they would keep going with this mission. She used to trust him with her life, thinking he would be there no matter what. Every time she was in trouble, she called out for him and he came. But that was no longer the case. _Now_, he did not care what happened to her. He did not care that there was a trail of blood where her body was supposed to be.

"I guess I really am an idiot."

"Kagome don't say that."

"I'm sorry I injured Kirara."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Listen, you should - you should take Kirara and go."

Sango frowned. "Kagome, we've spent all this time looking for you. We're not gonna abandon you."

"You're not - I just _I can't walk_, I can't do anything. You - you have to find your brother and there's Naraku…"

All she had to do was put back together the jewel she stupidly broke. Everyone else had bigger goal; Sango lost her entire family and Miroku had a time bomb attached to his hand. They did not have the luxury of time and she refused to let them pay the price for her mistake. She was the one who was stupid enough to get injured, then she should be the one left behind. She did not want them to miss out on an opportunity or to come in harm's way because of her. It would not be fair and she would not forgive herself.

"Kagome you're our friend. We'll wait."

Sango had not forgotten about her brother but Kagome was a dear friend who provided help whenever she could. She would not turn her back on her the way Inuyasha had done.

"Sango, please. I can catch up."

"How?"

"Kouga. I'm sure he can track you guys down when the time's right." She pinched her lips together; that sounded like a convincing story right? "Plus, I haven't even gone _home_ yet. My mother is probably worried sick. So I'll be gone for a while. You guys shouldn't stay behind."

"Kagome…"

"I'll join you guys again. I promise." She almost did not have a choice. They needed to complete the jewel - for everyone's sake. But, a little time away from it all would be beneficial for everyone.

"I don't like this."

"It's fine. Kouga's pack has been really nice to me."

That, Sango could not argue. Kagome had quite the set up in the den, though she had a feeling most of that was due to Kouga.

"KAGOME!" At the sound of the high pitch voice, both women turned their heads towards the entrance only to see Shippo running in. "Kagome!" he exclaimed as he jumped on her lap.

And now, there was someone else for her to disappoint.

-E-

Kouga was forced to spend the day talking with Miroku, although they did not see eye to eye on every issue. He did his best to give Kagome as much privacy as possible. It was dark by the time Sango and Shippo emerged from the den. Miroku and Kouga were there to greet them. For a while, Kouga almost expected Kagome to come out of there but she remained where she was. Shippo was resting on Sango's shoulder, a sad look on his face. Miroku did not dare to ask and neither did Kouga. If he wanted answers, he would go see Kagome.

"You're welcome to stay the night," he said as he leaned against a rock wall.

"We got a few empty dens. No point in going out in the dark."

He was right. "Thank you." Sango had not decided what to do yet but it was not a decision she could make alone; she would talk it over with Miroku. He was a part of this as well.

"Hey, Ginta."

"Yes, _boss?_" he answered as he ran towards the group.

"Get them some food and find them somewhere to sleep."

"Of course. Follow me."

Once they were out of view and following Ginta, Kouga used the opportunity to sneak into the den. Once he was inside, he found Kagome laying down on the furs, her back to the entrance. His steps were quiet as he closed the distance between them. He reached her side and she finally seemed to be aware of his presence. He laid down beside her, his chest almost pressed to her back. Though, he was smart enough to keep a small space between them.

"Are you alright?"

She stiffened at his proximity and realized that this was it; the moment she would have to deal with the consequences. She should _not_ have kissed him but it happened and now she could not take it back. The emotions were too much in that moment and she let them get the best of her. He was there for her, he was kind and he would do anything to see her smile. She could not compare him to Inuyasha. Inuyasha was brutish and rude from the start. The first thing Kouga did for her, except kidnap her was protect her and proclaim his love. They were on different ends of the spectrum. Still, she had foolishly given her heart to Inuyasha and it did not matter how nice Kouga was. She should not have done that to him.

"Kouga… we need to talk." She turned around to look at his face and she was graced with beautiful shiny blue eyes that hung on her every word. "About what happened…"

But he did not let her finish. Instead, he gently cupped her cheek, his thumb running across her skin. "It's gonna be okay."

"No, Kouga." She could hear it; her voice was breaking. "I shouldn't have done that."

Who knew five little words could hurt this much? He did not. He kept his hand there but there was a slight tremor in it. Even _she_ could feel it.

"Kouga?"

"Why?" he finally asked as he pulled his hand away.

"W-what?"

"Why him?"

She kissed him. She finally let go of Inuyasha and she kissed him. Now, she was telling him that she had not.

"It's not that - I just -" She was not going back to Inuyasha. She could no longer feel for him because it hurt too much and she did not know how many times she could pick up the pieces. This was the last straw. "I don't - we're not - I can't forgive him this."

But it did not mean she got to pick who she loved. "We don't choose, Kouga. I can't help who I like."

He knew she had just met him and that before the accident - he was just a youkai who kidnapped her. However, he knew he could be good to her. He loved her and he knew how to take care of her and he would never ever make her cry. There would be her and only her. Not another soul. He knew it the moment he chose her. He even told her that wolves mated for life. His pack even accepted her despite the fact that she was a human - not that it bothered _him_. There was no reason why they should not be together. And with her help his pack would be safer and stronger. And he could protect her properly. Inuyasha had been doing a poor job of it.

But now, now she was trying to tell him that all of it meant nothing. He could not force her to love him - he would never do that. But he refused to believe she felt nothing. And he was going to prove it to her.

"If I kiss ya and ya feel nothin', I'll believe you." That was a fair deal.

She should say no, right then and there and be done with it. Because she led him on enough times already. Not to mention all the confusing moments that happened to them. Yet, a kiss was almost nothing at this point. They kissed before - he even saw her _naked_. The fresh memory of that was enough to draft a dusty red over her cheeks and she was forced to look away from his gaze. She should say no because her heart ached from Inuyasha's recent, unforgivable betrayal and Kouga was a good friend that she did not want to lose. Yet, he begged her with his eyes and she almost felt bad. He did nothing wrong. He was kind, courageous and he protected her with all that he had.

Did she owe him a kiss? At least to thank him for everything he did?

Mere days ago, the thought of a kiss was precious. She had never given her first kiss away. Now, it was an eternity ago and it no longer represented the same thing.

"One kiss," she finally gave in, her voice nothing more than a lost whisper.

He tried to hide the smile that sneaked up on his face but he failed. This was his one shot at demonstrating how much he loved her and to prove to her that she did have feelings for him. He intended on keeping his words though. If this time she turned him down again, he would never bother her again. She would have been cleared and he would have been given a fair shot. Though the thought that this might be his last chance with her; it squeezed his heart in pain. This shot needed to count, this kiss needed to make a difference or he would lose her forever.

Kouga took a deep breathe before propping himself up on his elbow, steadying himself. He leaned forward, noticing the way she followed his every movement with her eyes. No, this was not a good enough position to swoon her. He forced himself on his knees and gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He tugged her up until she was sitting on her feet, her knees digging into the soft brown furs beneath her. She let him move her, she let him touch her. He was almost nervous. His large hands snaked up her back until one of them was resting on the back of her neck and the other was grazing her ribs. He could _feel_ her heartbeat through the fabric of her kimono.

His chest felt imposing and sturdy as it stood bare in front of her. Shouldn't she be familiar with the sight of his chest by now? He almost never wore his armour around her. She held her breathe while he approached his face to hers and for a moment she considered changing her puff of air tickled her skin as he used his grip on her to tilt her head down. Her throat was dry and her mouth felt like cotton as their eyes met for a final time. She followed his instructions without fighting back while her heart raced. Finally, the tension was broken when soft lips were pressed to hers. It was not a mere peck; no, this time, he demanded from her. It _shifted_ something inside of her.

Her inexperience showed through her clumsy lips as she tried to respond to his skillful movements. He squeezed her neck and his other hand lowered to tighten around her left hip. His chest was pressed to hers, while adventurous fingers deepened their exploration by tangling themselves into her long strands of hair. She parted her pink lips, filling her lungs with air at the same time, and he took advantage of the perfect situation. He captured her bottom lip between his and nibbled on it, a growl forming in his chest. She jolted in surprise and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

She tasted like honey and heaven mixed together and he shivered. His tongue danced with hers while she completely surrendered to him. He felt her relax in his arms, her body moulding to his as her breasts flattened against him. A sweet spicy scent emerged from her like a burst of nirvana and he groaned against her lips. He nibbled, fangs daring to graze the sensitive membrane and he sucked on her lip, watching her shiver in his hold. His hand was now cradling her head, keeping her close and giving himself full access to her mouth. He wanted to devour every inch of her. Meanwhile, in an attempt to hold on, her small hands had found their way to his shoulders. They were grabbing the skin, fingertips pushing, grasping at him. Already he could feel his blood rushing downwards.

It took all of his self-control not to let his hands wander. He was fairly certain his hand was leaving mark on the skin of her hip. He wanted to lap at her neck, taste the rest of her body but he knew it would be pushing his luck. Already, he did not expect _such_ an intense reaction out of her. Kouga allowed himself to savour her mouth a bit longer before tearing himself away. Already redness was spreading through his eyes. She was not there yet, she was not ready, he repeated to himself. This was about convincing her he was right for her. His hands trembled as he pulled her away from him, already regretting it. He watched her as she stood in front of him, half lidded eyes, swollen lips and completely breathless. He wanted another taste.

The taste of her remained with him and he closed his eyes for a second, basking in it.

Meanwhile, she swallowed hard, trying to bring herself back to reality. Her cheeks were red from what took place and the heat refused to leave her face.

And that was when he knew. Her scent had shifted more than he could have expected. And he knew she was not fine. It did something to her. He had to make her realize that she enjoyed it - even if she thought she could not. "Can't tell me that was nothin'."

He was right; she could not.

Kouga decided that he would not give her a chance to argue with his compelling argument. He rose to his feet, leaving her speechless behind, and he headed out of the den as fast as he could without using his speed. He ran his fingers through his messy ponytail, the heat to his face never fading away. This confirmed something for him; he wanted her. She was the one and there was no doubt about it. He needed her and - and this was good. He managed to sweep her off of her feet and leave her without a single word to say. She could no longer argue with him; there were some feelings hidden in there.

She let him help her, hold her, console her. She did not even yell at him when he saw her beautiful, flawless, naked body. Though it was an accident of course. There was a kindness in her eyes that was _just_ for him. She could not be completely cold towards him could she? Not after everything they went through. Inuyasha lost her. Now it was Kouga's turn to have a chance with her and to show her what it was like to be truly loved by someone. But for now, he would let her ponder over the issue. Plus, he truly needed a dip in the springs. A cold dip.

Kagome watched him go, her fingers touching her lips mindlessly. It was as though he left a trail of fire across her skin and lips. None of the kisses they shared so far even shared a resemblance to this one. Her body was drumming with a need she did not know it had. The feel of his hands lingered on her naked skin and she finally exhaled. She could not... no. it was no possible. Days ago, Inuyasha was all her heart desire. Could she have moved on this quickly? Could she have moved on... without realizing it? _No_ he could not be. Because - because… she did love Inuyasha didn't she?

That thought terrified her. And yet, she licked her lips, tasting the remnants of his mouth on her.

-E-

"I found them."

Inuyasha's white ears raised on top of his head at the sound of Kikyo's voice and then turned towards her. He rushed in her direction only to find her crouched down on the long green, blood stained grass. Kikyo put her two hands down and pushed herself up, her back facing to him. Then, she slowly turned around and she lifted her left hand to showed him Kagome's vial - the one containing the many pink jewel shards. His eyes widened, especially when she leaned forward and handed it to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She was giving them to him...and not keeping them for herself? His heart soared as he thought about her, _what they could have had_ and what would never be. Kikyo was _not_ evil.

"Take them," she said when he made no attempt to move.

His arm shakily reached out and he wrapped his hand around it, his fingers brushing up against hers at the same time. "Why are you giving them to me?" he asked in disbelief. He needed to hear her say it - even if it was selfish of him.

"You've helped protect them this far. I cannot do the same." Her body was not what it used to be. It was out of control, she did not have a say on her every expression, her every movements and her powers came and went. It was too unstable to be the protector of the jewel shards. Inuyasha had proved himself worthy.

More than she thought he would ever be.

Inuyasha safely tucked the shard in his pocket and then raised his head to look at Kikyo. This entire time he thought they were looking for Kagome. When she asked where they found the blood, he thought she wanted to begin at the start of the puzzle and work her way from there. Though, it was something he could have done on his own; he was better than her at scent tracking. Still, he followed her instructions and showered her. It turned out it was not Kagome she was looking for but the shards. It was not a bad plan; if someone got their hands on it... if Naraku found them.. they would have been screwed. He would protect the shards until he found Kagome and then he would return them to her. And she would forgive him.

Because Kagome always forgave him.

Even Miroku and Sango would eventually come to their senses and realize that what he did was for everyone's sake, not just his own. If he could simply get them to see that… Though he was not even sure _he_ was going to forgive them. They left him behind like he meant nothing. All he ever did was protect them and save their lives. They were ungrateful bastards. Hopefully they would not put the wrong idea in Kagome's head. _Kagome_.

"What about Kagome?"

"I do not know her location."

"But can you find her?"

"If we get close enough, I will feel her soul." Actually, it would be much worse than that. She would feel the little bit of soul she had inside of her trying to rip itself apart so that it could return in Kagome's body. It was never pleasant to be around her because it brought her constant pain.

"I've already done this whole area," he said as he looked into the distance. "We're gonna have to go further than that." Maybe he should follow Miroku, Sango and Shippo's tracks? Granted they did not have his nose, but perhaps they were a bit more lucky than he was? "Let's go east."

Kikyo nodded.

They began to walk and Inuyasha knew this would take forever. Unfortunately, he did not feel comfortable enough asking her to hop on his back. It was easier with Kagome; he did not ask, he simply did it. Then again, he was a lot more comfortable around her than he was with Kikyo. There was less bad history and he did not owe Kagome the way he owed Kikyo. And as much as hated to admit it; he did not feel the same way for both women. Kikyo was the first one to ever look at him, to ever decide he was worth something. She died because of him and because of the relationship they had.

He could never repay her for the loss.

Kagome? He still had time to make it up to her. And she always came to her senses. She understood what he had with Kikyo and she stayed by his side regardless.

This time would be no different.

But despite his words of encouragement, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

-E-


	12. Night of the Dead

**A/N: **School started up again and honestly with working full time and school full time- I've just been exhausted. I'm just trying to find my update schedule again. I hope next updates will come easier.

**Enamored **

**Chapter 12: Night of the Dead**

The sound of the wind rustling through the tree trunks echoed through the forest while the quietness of the night was swallowed whole by the darkness of the sky. Trees groaned, a pale light lighting the ground and the path throughs the trees. His steps were slow, digging into the mud beneath his sole, and he dragged his body across the way. He ignored the rocks, left trails of red against the smooth, grey surface of them, and kept going. His eyes shone with a vengeance, the boiling of his blood overwhelming him. Whiffs of putridity tickled his nostrils and though they flared, his face remained stoic. His tan skin was covered with mud, his skin cut by too many slashes for him to count.

It was all a ploy.

Everything was fine. Part of his pack went on a hunt and then they did not return. At first, he did not think much of it; wolves sometimes went further than they should. Perhaps they had found a target and followed it. They were stubborn and they did not want to return without it. Though, the sun lowered on the horizon for the second time and concerned filled him. He ignored his promise to protect Kagome, leaving her in the hands of her friends and his pack. Then, he went along and tried to track them down. _And he did_. And now, he wished had not. His heart was racing, demanding the blood of the offender. He clawed everywhere, ripped down every branch, took apart every plank of wood… but he found nothing.

There was no one - at least no one alive.

All he found in front of that pitiful castle, were corpses. _The corpses of his people_.

His eyes were empty as his den finally came in view. Already, he felt the buzzing of the pack as they sensed his presence - and smelled the blood and sweat that coated his skin. He paid no attention to them as they began to gather around him, questions flying out of their mouths. He heard none of them as his ears fell deafen, his heart racing and pushing against his rib cage. Then, as soon as he was in his own territory, his legs gave up. They quivered, shaking, and he dropped to the ground, his knees grazing the cold, hard rock beneath him. And they all did the same - either out of fear or out of concern. He saw none of their faces; he only saw the blur of life that moved around him.

"Kouga?"

"Come on, Kouga. You're scaring us."

"What happened?"

The commotion was loud enough to reach human ears. Miroku was the first to pop his head out, looking out at the gathering of wolves. Already, he was able to sense the disturbance in Kouga's aura. It also allowed him to make the conscious decision to remain far away. At the moment, he was a stranger, an outsider to the pack, and he also had _holy_ powers. The worst thing he could do was get close to a situation where he was not wanted and appear threatening. This was better. When Sango tried to investigate, he stopped her with a movement of the hand. He said no words, not wanting to remind anyone that they were here, and he simply shook his head. Defiance shone in her eyes, but she remained put. Shippo popped on her shoulders, but he remained hidden with them.

Not far from them, Kagome was laying in the midst of brown, soft furs. Kouga left after the kiss and was nowhere to be seen since then. At first, she thought he might be ignoring her, avoiding the consequences attached to his action. But, after Ginta and Hakkaku came to feed her, they let her in on the current situation; he was looking for members of his pack. That left her to spend some time with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Though every instant were difficult. She had managed to skillfully persuade them to go along without her. Although, they extended their stay by a few days, simply to make sure they were no possible way she could come with them. _As if her lack of walking was not proof enough_.

_"Kouga_!"

As soon as the muffled, panic cry reached her ears, she snapped her head to the side. Her chest compressed and she pinched her lips as she waited to hear more. _That was not a good sound_. She had not mastered her powers, but there was something wrong with the atmosphere. She watched her legs and let out a sigh of desperation; she could not walk herself out of here.

"Ginta?" she tried.

But no answer.

"Hakkaku?"

Again, nothing.

That was when she knew it was serious. _They always came_. She would merely move around and they would rush to her side to confirm her well being. Something happened to Kouga - something bad. But he was a youkai. Nothing was supposed to happen to him. Inuyasha always got himself out of bad situations - no matter how much the enemy had the upper hand. But her thoughts did not linger further on him. Instead, she scrambled her brain for a way to get to him. Nobody would come and get her. Her eyes darted around the darkness, watching the walls of the cave. The stone walls were not completely smooth; perhaps there was a way to use that to her advantage. She took a deep breath and turned her body around.

Her hands slid down the surface, trying to find something to hold on to - and she did. She grasped it with all of her strength and pulled herself up. Her legs shook, threatening to give up, but she pushed with her arms. Once she was finally standing up, she leaned against the wall for support, grateful that the kimono offered a sort of barrier against the roughness of the rocks. She let out a breath, already feeling the sweat beads that rolled down her back. She grunted as she began dragging her body along the wall, making her way to the outside. She exhaled loudly, a pounding in her chest. Kagome felt like gripping at her heart, but she knew she could not; she had to keep both hands on the rocks if she wanted to pull herself.

She forgot how difficult it was to walk. Clearly she needed to get use to walking more often or her strength would never return. She closed her eyes, trying to convince herself she could make it to the end. Seconds turned to minutes and by the time she reached the edge, her long locks of black hair were soaked with sweat. She licked her dry lips, her tongue wiping across the cracks in the membrane. She stopped to take a deep breath, forced to slowly fill her lungs with air. They were crushed, overwhelmed by the exercise she had put herself through. _No, _she had to get out there. Someone was hurt… it felt like everyone was in pain and it pierced right through her heart, squeezing it.

Her bottom lip wobbled as she pushed herself out of there and rested her back against the outside of the cave. As she raised her head to try and get a sense of what was happening she saw it; everyone was gathered around in a half-circle. At first it was hard to distinguish exactly what they were looking at it, but as some of them moved, she saw it; Kouga. He saw sitting on his knees, his eyes completely void of any kind of emotions and he was covered in…blood? Panic rushed through her and her eyes widened. Before she realized what was happening, she dropped on all four, the shock causing a loss of balance.

"_K-kouga_?"

He was hurt, he was bleeding. She no longer had the strength to make it back on her feet which forced her to crawl in his direction. It was not until she was near the group that her presence was noticed.

"Sis?"

It was Ginta. He moved away from Kouga and ran towards Kagome. "Sis, what are you doing?"

"What happened?" she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"We- we're not sure."

How could they not know? Did he go out there by himself? She ignored the hand Ginta was offering her and instead she inched herself closer to Kouga. She grabbed his face with her hand and then turned it, trying to see the source of all the blood. "He's injured!"

"Kagome -"

"Why aren't you helping him?" She let her hands glide down his face and then she looked at his shoulders. Where was all this goddamn blood coming from? She could not find the wound!

"Kagome, it's not his blood."

It took a while for the words to sink in, but when they did it was impossible to keep the look of horror off her face. _Not his blood_. She forced his eyes to meet hers, but there was nothing in there. It was like she was not even in front of him. She grabbed his hands with hers and squeezed tightly, but his large fingers before wrapped around hers. It was just enough for her to know he was in there somewhere.

"Some water," she croaked out. "I need some water. And a cloth."

From the look in everyone's face, she could guess whose blood it was and he should not keep that on his body.

"_Now_."

She did not mean to bark orders at them, but she was not thinking rationally. She could clearly remember the moment where she had been covered in blood - blood that had been hers. It had reminded her of her near death experience and nothing as felt as refreshing as getting it all washed off. These were his people, that was their blood and he carried it with him as it crusted over his skin. Kagome might not know everything about Kouga, but she knew his pack was important to him.

"Do what she says," Ginta barked as nobody moved.

Once he spoke those words they scampered off, running in every direction to find the required items. Meanwhile, Ginta silently waved everyone off so that Kagome and Kouga could have all the room they needed. They had yet to hear all of the details of the events, but he knew it was bad. They would need to mourn and they had a lot of bodies to bury. For now, he knew Kouga needed this and frankly he did not want to get between Kagome and Kouga. She could be quite a fierce alpha bitch when she wanted to be. It was the first time they saw that side of her and he liked it. Kouga needed someone who could loudly come to his defence.

"H-here," one of the wolves said as he held a pottery vase full of water with a white cloth hanging from the edge of it.

"Give it to her."

He put it down beside Kagome and backed away near Ginta, watching as their leaders' eyes remained cold and filled with hatred. They knew that look; he could not feel the loss yet because all that ran through him was the need for revenge. There would be a price to pay and blood would flow.

Kagome ignored them all as she grabbed the cloth and dipped it in the water. Once it was completely soaked, she squeezed the excess water and then brought it to his face. Gently, she rubbed in circles, applying enough pressure to remove the dried blood and dirt. He did not move, but he did let her do it. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his lips.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he let all the rush out of his body. He slumped his back and leaned forward until his head hit her chest. The motion took her by surprise and since she was unable to support his weight, she crumbled underneath it. They hit the ground, her back first and his head dug in between her breasts. A gasp left her lips and she looked down at him. He raised his head before pulling himself off of her. His eyes met her, and this time, something shone in them. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up from the ground. She let him do it and ignored the blood that stained her cheeks because of his armour, of the blood his face had left on her pale blue kimono.

She simply let him move as he needed.

Not to her surprise, he brought her back into the den. He lowered her back in the furs and then stared down at the ground. "I'm gonna get clean up."

She moved her hand, ready to wrap it around his wrist, but he was faster than she was. He stopped her hand, his own fingers delicately scarfing around the delicate skin. "_I'm not -_ I'm fine. Just not now." Red flashed through his icy blue eyes and she quietly nodded. She would not force this now, but part of her feared he might not come back. But he was Kouga. Kouga always came back. Even when she pushed him away, even when she was rude or told him they were only going to be friends. He stuck by her side and now he needed someone.

She had to be that someone for him.

He put her hand down carefully and tore himself away from her.

And she watched him go, her heart heavy.

-E-

Destruction.

Everything in sight was ripped to piece, shredded until there was nothing left. He broke trees' trunks in half, he tore off branches, he threw rocks into the spring and he unearthed the earth. He needed to break everything. There was nothing left for him, not a trail, not a hint. Whatever thing did this to his people, it did not have a clear scent. Instead, it smelled like a grouping of many youkais and he could not pick one out. He wanted to kill that beast with his own hands, he wanted to shred it until there was nothing left, but strips of flesh. He needed blood to flow, but he could not have any of it. He was forced to make a promise; he could not have his vengeance now, but he would.

He cleared the blood from his body, leaving a trail of red in the water. Once he was cleansed from blood and dirt, he remained by himself, under the moonlight. Kagome's touch had been soft while he had acted like a monster. He remembered seeing her face and recognizing her scent. Despite the beast that roared inside of him, he never unleashed it because it was her and he would never forgive himself if he hurt her. She was not even scared for a second. Oh and there was the sweat. He remembered the sweat. He was not even quite sure how she got to him or why she tried to wipe off his face, but he remembered the softness of her eyes. Having her close to his body for a moment had felt like heaven.

Even now, she was there, in the den, not too far from him. He could go to her and yet, but he had not managed to find the strength to do it.

There was also the question of his people. Most of them sniffed out what happened, but he did not give any real detail. At that moment, he did not trust himself to speak. He thought his beast would take over. And it did, only, it did it after he dropped Kagome off. Breaking everything, tearing it all down in his wolf form did help release the stress. Now, it was time for him to assume his responsibilities again. In a moment, though. He enjoyed the light of the full moon for a while longer before tearing himself away from his piece of heaven.

His return to the pack was slow, but when he arrived, they were all waiting for him. They gathered around, sitting and silently waiting for him to speak his first words. And he did. He sat down with them and explained as calmly as he could the whole scene that he found. He told them about the dead, dismembered bodies of their pack, the scent of death that surrounded them and the red blood that was splashed everywhere. Every instant of that nightmare was imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life. He thought the massacre done by the birds of paradise was bad, but it was nothing compared to this hell. During his speech he had to stop some people from walking off; there was no trail and it was useless to lose more people to this.

They had to be more careful from now on; they did not know who was behind this.

After a very emotional talk, they all re-treated back to their own dens with the same promise he made himself; vengeance.

He was left all alone around the dying fire, his eyes watching the flames flicker. His arms were wrapped around his legs and he let out of a sigh. "What?"

"You know, she's been worried all night."

"I know."

"She wasn't even scared of ya - I don't think she even noticed." If she had seen the need for blood in his eyes, she would have never approached him so carelessly.

"Not so sure about that." She simply chose to ignore it.

"I did like the way she bossed everyone around." Hakkaku was trying to get Kouga to smile, but most of all, he was trying to get him to go to Kagome. Nothing could take the pain away, but he knew she would help ease it. Plus, she was truly going insane in there; the disturbance in her aura was intolerable.

"I'll go see her."

"She only wants to help."

"_I know_."

"K-"

"_I know," _he repeated. His patience was not the greatest at the moment.

"Then go see her."

He ran his fingers through his wet hair, annoyed. He was not going to leave him alone until he went back to his den. He rolled his eyes in annoyance before he lifted himself off the ground. "Don't forget to put this shit out. We don't need a fire."

Hakkaku nodded as he watched his alpha walk away, pleased. At least they were able to do one good thing today. It took him a lot of work to keep the humans away from Kagome. He knew Kouga would never go to her if her friends were around. He sat down, had a quick chat with them and they listened to him. The monk seemed like a smart one; he did not ask too many questions. It was probably because he could tell it was not wise to do so. Wolves were open and protecting with their own packs, but they did not react that well to outsiders. Kagome was, of course, an exception. Although she was _pack_. Even if none of it was officially done. Kouga's word was law and he made her pack; it was enough.

A few steps from him, Kouga was dragging himself towards the den. He could see the small flicker of light coming from inside and he knew she was awake. Although, perhaps she was only cold? He forgot she was human and the cave could be quite damp. He stepped inside, making sure to do some noise as to alert her of his presence and it worked. She turned her head in his direction and put a tiny smile on her lips.

He looked like Kouga again. Though she could read the pain on his face, he was moving and no longer looked like a robot operating in default mode. She tried to be as still as possible as he approached her. Thoughts of their earlier actions along with the feel of his lips against hers were far from her mind. This was not about her, this was not about them - it was about _him_. She watched him as he closed the distance between them and he finally sat down by her side, though not on the furs. Instead, he opted for the cold ground. As soon as he was sitting, he closed his eyes and tilted his head backward. _He was exhausted_ and she knew the feeling.

"I'm sorry, Kouga," she croaked out.

"I'm gonna make it right."

"Who did it?"

Nobody told her what took place, but she knew it involved death and pain.

"I don't know. Fucking left no trail… I tried to pick up his scent, but I couldn't. He - his scent, it was all over the fucking place."

He heart stopped; she knew of one person who left that kind of trail. "K-kouga?"

The sound of her voice brought him back to life. "What?"

She should not say this and she would not if she was not so sure, but… who else could be this cruel? Who else took lives like this and played with people like they were dolls? He was the only one cruel enough to do it. And she was tired of him ruining everyone's lives. "Do - do you know someone named Naraku?"

His heart skipped a beat; did she know who did this? Was she - _what_. "Never heard of him."

"I - I think he might be behind this."

His hands clenched into fists and his eyes narrowed. Naraku. Why had he not heard about him before? Who sneaked up like that and killed people? "Are you sure?"

"I - he killed Sango's whole village…"

Sango. The demon slayer. He forgot about those humans staying in his den. He had not even seen their faces since his return - it was best this way. "Where is he?"

Kagome jumped forward, panic rushing through her. "Kouga, you can't just go after him."

"Like hell I can't."

"He's going to kill you."

"He ain't gonna do shit."

_Slap_.

Kouga's head turned to the side while a burning feeling spread through his cheek. _She slapped him again_. He was about to say something, but when he looked at her face he fell silent. She was close to him, her hands on her hips and her eyes opened wide. Her eyebrows were knitted and her eyes spoke death. "_You're not going after him_. Especially not like this! I know you're hurt, I know that what happened is horrible. Losing the people you love is never easy." She would know. "Still, going after him now is just stupid. Do you wanna die too? Do you want your pack to lose you? Because that is what's going to happen. He's baiting you. And you're falling for it." By the end of her speech, she was panting, but she did not care. She did not mean to slap him, but she lost it. People kept on dying and she was sick of it. She did not want to bury another village, she did not want to see her friends cry.

And most of all… "I don't want you to die."

At that moment, he forgot how to breathe. _She was scared of losing him_. He thought about vengeance, he thought about getting back what was taken from him. He did not think about her - but she thought about him. And she valued his life.

He reached out for her face and cupped her cheek in his large palm. "I will kill him for this." Warning echoed through her blue eyes, but he dismissed it with a brush of his thumb across her cheek. "Not tonight, not tomorrow. But I will kill him one day."

She could accept that answer. As long as he did not throw himself into battle mindlessly, she could live with the fact that he wanted to kill Naraku. Everyone wanted to kill him and that monster would get what he deserved eventually.

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned into his touch for a second, trying to comfort him. She did not know how else to do it. Things between them had been awkward more than once - especially after that _kiss,_ but it did not mean she could not be a friend to him. He needed someone and he needed to let the pain out. He stayed that way for a second, relaxing through the feeling of her soft skin under the rough calluses of his thumb. She was perfect. She waited, she was patient and she let him _touch_ her. Right now, he was exhausted like he had never been before. His _brain_ was throbbing and his chest hurt. He wanted nothing more than to lay beside her and hold her all night long.

He knew he never gave her a chance to reply. He meant to give her some time to think about her answer, but all that was gone now - none of it mattered. He wanted to put his arms around her, but he did not think he could handle the rejection of her touch right now.

But he had to try because… he did not want to be alone. Not tonight.

"Kagome -" He pulled his hand from her and put it down on his thighs. "I'm tired."

Her heart raced as she pulled back the furs from her body and scooted to the right, making him some room. "Sleep."

He held her during the nightmares, he chased away the fears and he nursed her back to health. He needed someone and she would be that someone. Although, she could barely look at him in the eyes as she felt the heat spread to her face. _She was inviting him to sleep with her_. He stayed by her side many times, but they never spoke of it; he simply did it. This was completely different. It took a moment, but she finally felt him shift and she breathed a little easier. He hopped on the furs, his leg touching hers, and then he laid down. She threw the brown fur back over both their bodies and then tried to slow down her heartbeat; if she did not, she might have a heart attack.

The sleepiness that claimed her muscles earlier, after all of her exhausting efforts, was long gone. Nervousness spread through her like a disease, forcing a shake of her body. It was just Kouga, they had done this plenty of time. Although, he had never kissed her like he had. It rose things inside of her, things she rather she did not feel. And now, he was sad and hurt and beside her… and she wanted to comfort him. He was a friend and - _he was just a friend_. The heat his lips created in the pit of her stomach meant nothing. She was simply swooped away and confused. That was all. Just confusion.

And there was his hand. Lingering between her body and his, never touching her, never even coming close to her chest. Despite the exhaustion that was desperate to claim his body, Kouga could not slip into a slumber. How was he supposed to do that when her heart was racing? Every time he closed his eyes, it was the only thing he could hear. Why was she so nervous? Had she ever been this nervous by his side before? He had not quite imposed himself; she had invited him. She had been worried earlier, straining herself to come to his side. She could have hurt herself. But she came anyway. Did she come because she was worried about him? Or was it because of the whole commotion? Those were all questions he wanted to ask, but could not.

Instead, he turned his head to the side and looked at her. Her eyes were open and he could see them clearly as the remaining of the fire flickered away. It colored her skin orange and yellow, her lips soft and plump. He remembered how they tasted, he remembered how he made her feel… Would he ever get that again? He had not given her up because…she had a reaction. And even now, she was there for him.

He almost lost her, and then lost part of his pack.

He was sick and tired of losing. He was sick and tired of the fear and the constant worry.

After knowing the pain of losing so many at once, he knew he never wanted to lose _her_.

He promised her he would not do anything reckless, but she did not want to lose _him_.

He understood the feeling. He would have to find some way to bury the rage deep inside of his heart. He would need to let it stew until he could control it. He knew Inuyasha hurt her, he knew he broke promises and Kouga would never be that man for her. He would be the one who honoured her and remained truthful. No matter how much it killed him inside.

Kouga mustered all the strength and courage he had left and turned his body to the side. He was now completely facing her, but instead of creepily staring at her face, he closed his eyes. Ever since she _hit_ him with her power, it was much easier to _feel_ her. Her aura was quite recognizable by his own and he could feel every movement, every breath and every shiver of her body. She was even more stressed than before. Did she expect him to do something? To touch her? He did need it. He was a wolf and he needed closeness and soft touches. It was one way to take away the pain that built up in his chest. Usually, such comfort was provided by a mate. Kagome was not that for him.

What was she?

He had already scratched _friends_ off the list.

Friends did not get arouse when other friends kissed them.

She did.

Therefore, they were not friends.

She was close to him - close enough for him to smell the scent of the water spring that lingered in her hair. He should speak, he should ask her for her permission to wrap his arms around her and feel that heartbeat against his chest. But he did not.

He raised a hand, ready to lay it on her shoulder, when suddenly, she took him by surprise. She completely turned to the side, flipping herself around. Unfortunately, her movements were not as graceful as she first anticipated, bringing her much closer to him than she wanted. Their noses were near, almost bumping, and her hands lingered hover his bare chest. His eyes melted into hers and for a moment, it was like he was going to kiss her all over again. Her cheeks were painted red, her stomach coiled while fear and anticipation laced in her stomach and she remained completely still. She had turned around to ask him if he needed something, if there was a reason his eyes burned a hole on the side of her head but now…

All words were stuck in her throat.

He showed her many sides of himself, but she had never seen him so broken. He was cocky, never letting anything stand in his way and yet, now he was looking for something to hold on to. She wanted his grin back, she wanted his confidence back. She wished Naraku had not taken from him like he took from so many before.

She tilted her head forward, her forehead resting against his. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"Not your fault."

Maybe it was. Maybe if she had not been there, his pack would have been doing something differently. Although, she knew that when Naraku had a plan, he saw it through no matter what. Did he attack because she was here, or did he attack to lure Kouga and his shards? It was a mystery he made it out without an attack on his life. Unless Naraku was not quite done with him… He had to keep his promise, he had to refrain from going after him.

"Don't look for him."

"I said I wouldn't. When I make a promise, I keep it. I don't lie."

And she believed him. He had not lied once.

He had helped her, seen her naked, kissed her, but he had never lied.

She swallowed hard and he found her terribly tempting. But he did not want to kiss her tonight, not when pity shone in her eyes. The next time they kissed it would be because she finally realized that she did feel something for him. For now, her concern would have to be enough. He took advantage of her momentary distraction, and wrapped his arm around her, pushing her face into his naked chest. She inhaled, her lips tickling his skin, but he cradled the back of her head with his hand. He waited a beat and then she relaxed in his hold.

"Sleep," he murmured against her hair.

And she nodded, ignoring the fire burning her face. She closed her eyes, basking in his warmth, his arm holding her securely.

She knew she would not have any nightmares.

He knew he would be able to catch a moment of sleep.

She trusted him, and knew he would not run off into the night while she was asleep. He would not betray her, he would not turn his back on her.

For once, she was fully content.

-E-


	13. Closeness

**A/N: I LIIIIVE!**

**Enamored**

**Chapter 13: Closeness**

A warm fog of air wrapped around her neck, forcing her head back. A shiver traveled down her spine, raising goosebumps on the surface of her skin. She arched her back while softness spread in the crook of her neck. A trail of moistness was left behind and she was hopeless to stop the sound of passion that emerged from between her rose petal lips. Fire stretched out in her lungs which left her breathless. She panted, struggling for air, but nothing brought her relief. She bore her neck even more to the sweet feels of a tender mouth, her mind wrapped in a daze. Her entire body was still enveloped in a blanket of sleep, her eyes closed as consciousness was slowly claiming her and pulling her out of her dream.

As her eyes slowly peeked opened, she was left looking down at her chest. There, beneath her covered breasts, was a large hand, palming at her clothed stomach, sending tingles of warmth between her thighs. _It was not a dream_. However, before the feeling of panic could settle in her chest and overtake the pleasure that had slowly inched itself inside of her, she felt the tip of fangs grazing her skin and this time, there was clear loud moan. She wanted to turn around and tell him this had to stop, but her body was stuck in place, relishing the pleasures he was bestowing upon her. The feel of his large hand, the scent of wood and dirty that coated his skin and _oh fuck_, the wetness of his lips. He was devouring her neck, forcing her to push her rear into his crotch and sending a tremor of lust through her body. It was new, it was _- oh why did it feel so good_? She was nothing more than goo in his arms.

Fangs teased her ear, nibbling on the earlobe and tugging on it. Warmth spread between her legs, forcing her to tighten them, rubbing them together as the tension build. A skillful tongue licked the curve and her inner walls clenched at the taunting promises it left behind. Her body was a scorching fire and each of his touches both soothed it and kindle it bigger at the same time. Her head spun, the urge of lust becoming nothing more than an overwhelming feeling taking control of her soul. His scent wrapped around her, subtly showing his manliness and strength. She tried to catch her breath, but all it did was burn her throat while her lips became dry from her panting.

Kagome sucked in a breath while she felt the cold air hit her left shoulder as her kimono was lowered. A tongue lapped at the top of the skin and she trembled in his hold. _Wait. Wait. _"K-kouga."

A growl resonated in her ears and then, she felt him pull away. His hand left her stomach, warmth escaping her body, and the heat from his whole body pressed so hard against her was also gone. She heard a thump as he probably laid on his back and she took advantage of that moment to regain her breath. How did she let her control slip past her? She had realized that it was not a dream and yet she allowed it to go on. He had kissed her before, taught her a surge of emotion, but it was nothing like this. She - did not feel anything for him. How could her body react like this? Fire spread to her face and she wanted nothing more than to hide herself away. If only the ground could swallow her whole…

And he was not saying anything…

Of course he was not saying anything.

He lost everything.

What was there to say?

It was not like he hurt her and she certainly did not push him away. When she spoke he stopped. Nothing he did was wrong or hurtful… she… no she did not encourage it. She simply _ugh_. No.

Nothing he did was wrong and honestly, she offered him to share the same sleeping space. He was hurt and he needed someone. He was her someone and she wanted to return the favor. She tried to lessen the blush that adorned her cheeks, but nothing worked. She would have to turn around and look at him. Ignoring him would not work and despite all the shame that swelled in her chest, she did want to know if he was alright. A whole night had passed and perhaps his feelings had worsened. She remained afraid that he might make a bad decision and endanger his life. He could _not_ go after Naraku, no matter how much he might be in. She would not let it happen.

_Three, two, one_.

And she turned.

As she made it to her side, she found him laying on his back, his hands resting behind his head. His eyes were closed, but she noticed the small flare of his nostrils. He was not asleep and yet part of her did not want to disturb him. Since the loss of his pack, he was restless and now he almost appeared at peace. Instead of speaking, she laid on her arm, watching him, observing the rise of his chest and the slight tremble of his forehead. Her eyes shifted to his lips and she blushed deeper as memories of the previous instant re-flooded her mind. She let him touch her, she let him kiss her. She had heard about the pleasure of the flesh, but this - it had set her whole body on fire.

She loved someone.

She was friends with Kouga.

Fine, so he kissed her.

And she liked it, but -

But, she did not know what to say.

All she knew was that he was not a stranger. And he was not just the guy who saved her. To be completely honest she did not know where that left them and she was not convinced that she wanted to know.

Kouga exhaled loudly, trying to unwind himself. It was better to exhaled than to inhale. Because if he inhaled her sweet, divine scent would bewitch him and he would be a goner again. Although he did not regret tasting her flesh, he never planned for it to take place. He woke up with her sweet body wrapped against his, her back flushed against his chest. When his eyes had flashed open, all he had seen was the sight of her bare neck, waiting for him, calling out to him. He meant to resist, but indulging was so easy. He should have been devastated, but her presence alone gave him strength and he wanted to drink it from the source.

He thought she would push him away, snatch her warmth from him. But she did neither. Instead, she molded to him, giving him more than he asked for. He could have taken her right then. But those little words came out and he listened - even if her scent was saying a completely different thing than her mouth. He did not even know how he managed to tear his body from hers. She was light, kindness and strength and he wanted all of it. And now? Now, she was staring at him while the scent of her arousal kept on growing and teasing him. Why did it not lessen? Why did it insist on torturing him, wrenching his heart out until he felt only pain?

He flashed his eyes opened, but he did not look at her.

"Are you okay?"

He had his tongue lapping at her skin, forcing moans out of her throat, and that was her question? He shifted his hips, hoping to find a position that helped with the pressing need he was dealing with at the moment.

"Yeah," he croaked out.

She wanted to take his pain away, she wanted to talk to him and help him through the process. However, the blushing of her cheeks and the awkward in the air made that situation quite difficult. She exhaled and forced herself to accept a truth; he would not say much. The wound was too fresh. She knew the feeling.

"I lost my father."

The confession was unexpected and he did not even think twice as he turned his head to meet her gaze. Her eyes shone with the tears that coated her iris and he felt a ping in his heart. He did not want her to be sad, he did not want her to suffer and it angered him that she knew the pain of loss. She was too beautiful to be that sad.

"It was a -" She stopped, knowing she could not say the word car. "It was an accident. Someone hm, hit him." That sounded like the worst lie in the world. But he asked no question. He simply kept on staring at her with those blue eyes.

"Mom was pregnant with my little brother and I was young... so we moved in with my grandpa." Too young to have any real memories of him. "My grandpa was a little mad, a bit angry, but he just prayed more. My mom she... she was never mad. Never angry that my dad was gone. She smiled and went on. She accepted it and - no matter how hard it was, she always smiled."

Her mom had such an inner strength that allowed her to take on the biggest challenge, Nothing ever let her down, nothing ever took away who she was. Kagome envied that strength and she wished she could do the same. Lately, she had let the bad take over, looming over her and taking away her happiness.

"She was strong."

A warm hand cupped her cheek. "So are you."

He was close - so close that she did not know when he got so close to her face. She could feel his breath teasing her, closing the distance and she was frozen in place. She was not pulling away, but she was not leaning forward. Her heartbeat hammered, soaring through her chest while she waited with parted lips. She felt him move her head forward, using his grip, and she let him. Plump lips were close to hers and then, they touched her mouth. His fire burned through her and he melted against her. Her lips felt dry against his moistness and her throat clamped up while heat rose to her face.

"Kouga!"

Both were startled, jumping away from each other. Kagome felt the need to melt into the ground and hide herself away from all sight, but Kouga was having a completely other reaction. He was already on his feet, walking in the direction of Ginta.

"What happened?" The strain in his voice let her understand he feared another attack had taken place.

"Kei came back. He's alive - injured, but the bastard's alive."

It was all the words it took for Kouga to bolt out of the den, leaving nothing behind, but a trail of brown dust. Kagome sat up, watching him disappear. Ginta remained behind, a little smirk on his face. If the news of someone making it back was not enough to brighten the day, the situation in which he had found his leader and sister was. There was hope and through the darkness there was light. It did ease the pain in his heart and lessened his concern for his leader. He feared Kouga might do something stupid in retribution and they could not lose him as well. Kagome was a good influence on him.

"Ginta." Kagome looked away from his face, too shameful to share a glance. "Can you help me up?"

She wanted to go? Again, a sense of pride beamed through him; she was a great alpha bitch and she did not even realize it.

He hurried to her side and offered her a hand. Considering everything happening, he did not want to risk leaving his scent all over Kagome. She rapidly took his hands and he pulled her to her feet. She was much better, but her stability and strength could use some work. Knowing that, she linked their arms and leaned on him as she walked. He kept up with her slow pace, leading her out of the cave and near Kouga's location. The entire pack was there, waiting to greet back the individual that managed to survive the massacre. They thought they lost everyone and even a single life meant everything. It also showed their strength.

Meanwhile Kouga was already kneeling by Kei's side. Despite the blood that covered his skin and the injuries covering a major part of his body, he seemed fine. He was breathing and his aura remained strong. Although Kouga was confused; he had not felt anyone. If he had, he would have stayed and helped him.

"Where were you?"

"I remember the attacks - and then I fell unconscious. I woke up under a pile of... bodies."

Kouga swallowed hard and smacked his lips. Perhaps he had missed his faint aura through the panic? Maybe there were a lot of people on top of him. Although that did nothing to ease the guilt that swelled inside of him. He should have known, he should have looked better. He failed him and he failed his pack. He was too hasty and too blinded by his rage that he missed a survivor. It could have been a fatal mistake for Kei.

"Maybe I can help."

He turned his head as he heard Kagome's voice and watched, helpless, while Ginta guided her to Kei. Ginta safely helped Kagome to her knees and then she inched herself closer to the males. "I might be able to heal him." She did not do it on command and it might be a long shot - but she had done it before. She could not bear to stand and watch while Kouga lost someone else. The least she could do was try.

"You ain't even healed yet."

"I'm fine."

She took a deep breath and then hovered her hands above Kei's body who was watching her with an intense gaze. She was about to touch him when she suddenly stopped, her eyes widening. Oh no. Her hands crisped and felt many pairs of eyes on her. "Hm - you hm. We shouldn't do this here. In case - hm my powers go wrong. Maybe in a den? with less people?"

Kouga smelled the hint of deceit, but nodded regardless. "Take him to his den."

He watched as a group of five wolves lifted him from the ground and helped him up and away. They were barely out of hearing range when he felt Kagome's small hand wrap around his arm and tugging him towards her. Their foreheads nearly bumped while he spun around and then he say it; the sadness in her eyes. She knew something.

"Kouga..." She did not even know how to tell him. This was meant to be a good news; she did not want to hurt him further. Plus, this would only fuel his rage and need for vengeance. "He - he has a shard."

"What? Why would he have a shard?"

"It's tainted."

Tainted? What did that even mean? A shard was a shard. There were no different kind of shards. And although he knew she would never speak lies, why would Kei have a shard with him? He just came back from an attack.

How could she tell him how could she explain it to him? "This is what Naraku does."

"The bastard who killed part of my pack gives out shards?" he did not mean to snap, but he did.

Kagome shook her head. "He turns them into puppets." She let out a sigh. "He puts a shard in someone who's near death and he controls them. He takes over their mind and uses them to do whatever he wants."

He held his breath, letting the information sink in. Kei was not Kei; he was that monster's tool. Now he was on the inside and he could do whatever he wanted. He could use Kei to wipe them all out during the night. They would not see it coming; how could they since they trusted him. Near death? Was he going to die without the shard? Probably. Although with it, he was basically dead. He was not himself, he was not Kei. And this was when he had to make a decision. Is this why she was telling him and him alone? He needed to choose if Kei lived despite the fact that he could involuntarily betray them at any moment?

"He'll die."

"What?"

"If you take it out, he'll die?"

Her bottom lip wobbled and she realized this was the question she dreaded. Despite the consequences that came with the truth, she knew she had to tell him. "I think so."

"Can you take it out?"

She frowned; did he not understand what she said? "If I take it out, he will die."

"But can you do it?"

"I'm not killing him."

"If we don't do this, he might kill the entire pack." He did not trust putting surveillance around him. He did not know if Naraku would impact his strength. He could not take a chance; he lost enough people.

There had to be another way because she was not doing this. She understood where he was coming from, but that did not mean she could take someone's life. She could never pull that shard out of him. Even if she saw the pain in Kouga's eyes, even if she understood the risk. It was still a person and she could not kill him with her own hands. No there had to be another option.

"I could - I could purify it."

"What?"

"If I can purify the shard while it's still inside of him, I could severe the connection between Naraku and him."

Darkness united them and light could break them apart. Although, she had never purified a shard that she did not hold in her hands. It did not mean it could not be done. She did manage to heal herself and push Kouga away with her power. There was some strength inside of her. She simply needed to focus on channeling it. She could do it - she could spare Kei's life. She had to because the other option was not a possibility. She could not kill him and she could not watch Kouga do it. Also, she did not want anyone else to die and she could not let Naraku wipe out Kouga's entire pack. Someone had to put a stop to him and his plans.

"Okay."

It was that simple - because he trusted her.

"Let's go." He scooped her in his arms, earning a gasp from her, and sped towards the den.

Kei was laying down on furs, his eyes closed and a hand over his stomach while he groaned out in pain. Kouga put Kagome down in front of him and remained close by. Immediately, she put her hands to his side and tried to feel the shard. She knew it was there, but it was out of grasp. How was she supposed to purify it without feeling it? Maybe if she focused... Frustration rose through her, but she refused to give up. Instead she closed her eyes and focused harder. Her hands began to tremble while her body shook with desperation. Come on. She could do it. It was right there, calling out to her. She was its protector, she should be able to do it.

Then again, she had proven to be quite a useless protector so far.

Moments ticked by until finally, her need created a warmth tingling from her fingers. Except it was doing the opposite of what she wanted. Instead of healing and taking away the darkness, she felt Kei's skin burn under her fingers. Immediately she balled her hands into fists and pushed them towards her chest. Oh no, she made it worse. She did not fix it! Panic washed through her when suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Kouga. She could feel it was him.

"Ya can do it."

She wanted to argue with him, but instead she kept silent. She felt him use his hand to cover one of hers and he helped her stretch it out again until it was touching Kei's side. She could feel his confidence pulsing through her. She inhaled through her nose and tried again as Kouga kept his hands on her. He believed in her. She almost hurt him with her power, but he believe in it and in her. Where was he getting that trust? When did she ever demonstrate that she could do this? No, she had to let go of all doubt. The shard was right there and she could take Naraku's control away. It was that easy. He could not win again, not after everything he did. She focused harder, allowing Kouga's warmth to surround her.

_Then it happened_.

A twinge flew from her fingers and suddenly, she felt something dark pushing back against her. Naraku's control was strong, trying to push her out, but she kept forcing her way in. A bright light emerged from her hand and before she was able to stop it, everything collided. Light flew around and Kagome was propelled back, dragging Kouga along with her. They both hit the wall, though the fact that he hit it first protect her. She slammed against his chest and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her body to protect her. Dazed, she blinked a few times while hanging on to his arm for balance as she tried to hold her head up. Despite the shock, she was able to feel one thing; the darkness was gone.

"I did it," she whispered, her own voice too loud for her head.

"What?" His head was resting on hers, while he tried to ignore the stabbing pain coming his back. One of the sharp edges had dug into his back and pierced the skin. Although it would heal, it stung like a _fucking_ _bitch_.

"I did it. I purified it," she said, joy spreading to her facial features. It might not be much, and it did not mean Kei was actually going to make it, but at least she had given him a fighting chance.

Kouga's own face broke into a grin as he squeezed her a bit tighter, giving her a hug. He knew she could do it; he never doubted her for a second. Kagome was his girl. He chose her because of all of her qualities and she only kept on demonstrating more.

"So he'll live?"

"As long as he has the shard…"

But even a purified shard could have a bad effect on a youkai. Although Kouga had two of them and he was doing fine. Then again, up until the slaughter of his people, she saw no darkness in him. There was a part of him that was hidden, one he never really showered her, but it did not matter. Kouga's heart was pure and everything he did, he did for the right reasons. He never saw malice in his actions. Maybe retribution sometimes, but he never attacked out of place. She could not approve of everything he chose to do, but it did not mean it was wrong. Not everyone lived in her reality.

"So if we take it out?"

"He'll die."

"But Naraku can't control him?"

She shook her head.

"I supposed that's better than nothing." He was not sure he liked this, but at least Kei lived. Plus they might be able to obtain some crucial information from him. He did promise Kagome he would not do anything reckless, but he did not mean that he would drop the whole thing entirely. He would still need to avenge his people eventually and Kei might be the key to doing it.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Thank you."

As she felt his lips on her she suddenly became aware of everyone who surrounded them. Much like always, her face turned a bright red and she remained still, uncertain of how to proceed. Was there even a way to go after this? She did not even know what they were. One thing was clear; Kouga was comfortable with this growing closeness and he was nowhere near the end of it. Every time she was around him, it went up a notch. And yet not a word of complaint escaped her throat. There was something wrong with her was there not? All the feelings she was supposed to have were supposed to be there. Why were they not? It was not that long ago that they pain of betrayal stabbed her through the heart…

She finally let go of Kouga's arm, but did not pull herself away. Not that she could have even if she had wanted to - his grip was tight. But Kouga did sense her discomfort and after a moment, his arms loosened and she pulled away slightly. He was the first to his feet and it took advantage of that to offer her his hand. She took it and he helped her up. Both of them slowly walked in the direction of Kei who remained unconscious, though he was breathing. Kouga was not able to tell if anything was different, but then again he did not have Kagome's powers.

"Will he wake up soon?"

"I'm not sure." She did not have a lot of experience in the matter.

"Keep an eye on him," he ordered two nameless wolves, Kagome did not know. "Just to be safe. And I wanna know as soon as he wakes up. We need to get some info out of him."

In case he did die, despite the shard, he wanted to get as much as he could. He would not let Kei's death be for nothing. For now, they would keep him alive as long as they could. Surely he could live with a shard.

"Kouga, you should eat something." It was Ginta who spoke, concerned eyes examining Kouga's form. Their leader had not eaten since he returned from the devastating finding he made. He also knew he unleashed the beast inside. It took a lot out of him and he appeared quite tired. His priorities had shifted out of focus and someone needed to keep him on track.

"I'm not hungry."

"Ginta's right. You need to eat."

Ginta rose an eyebrow at Kagome's words and held back a smirk. There was no way Kouga was going to say no to her…

"Ya need to eat too," Kouga pointed out.

"So we'll both eat." She ignored the heat rising to her face and grabbed his arm for support. She would not make it out of here by walking on her own. Plus, Ginta was right; Kouga needed food. He helped her and she would help him.

As everywhere expected, Kouga did not put up a fight, he simply let Kagome led him out.

And Ginta could not help but smile.

-E-

The sun grazed the horizon, the night sky filling with darkness and everyone settled back into their own den. Kouga was the only one who remained out. After a quick bite with Kagome, he patrolled the surroundings; he would not let another person sneak up on him again. Plus, he had to keep an eye out in case Kei woke up. Which had yet to happen. But his Kagome said he would wake up and he believed in her - even if he was getting slightly restless. He needed that information, he needed to know there was something out there that could help him defeat that beast - that Naraku. The simple thought of his name brought bile to his throat. He despised him.

"_Kouga_."

It was soft, nothing more than a whisper, but it was her voice and he heard it.

His steps were scattered and in a rush while he headed to her. She _called_ out to him. She even kept on touching him; the brush of her fingers against his arm, the way she gripped at his skin and that _smile_. She smiled at him. All that joy, it was all for him. Although it did not take the pain away it did lessen it. Every moment with her was a piece of happiness. And sought all of them all, even forgoing thoughts that were plaguing him. For a moment, any thoughts of Kei left his mind and she became his whole world. He was nearly panting when he reached the den, his heart hammering in his chest.

She was waiting for him, sprawled across the furs and something inside of him ached. This is the sight he wanted to see every day. This was the face he wanted to wake up next to every single morning of his life.

She was it.

"Is everything alright?"

She nodded. "Can you come closer?"

She knew exactly what he was doing; he was letting the pain eat away at him. She could not say that she was doing any better than he was, but at least she could prevent him from destroying himself.

And he obeyed. He strolled deeper into the cave, a tender smile on his lips. _She asked for him_. She wanted him close to her.

"Sit down." It was not an order, but he listened.

"You need to rest."

"I'm a youkai, I'm strong."

"You need to rest," she repeated.

She did not care how strong he thought he was, or all the responsibilities on his shoulders. For the moment, everyone was safe. "A tired you doesn't help anyone," she pointed out.

She was right, she was always right. He let a sigh slip his lips and then, without her expecting it, he dropped his head to her thighs. They were covered by the furs, but it did not matter; he could still feel the warmth of her skin radiating through them. Her heartbeat raced and he smiled at the reaction. He tilted his head slightly and let his nose bury itself in the crook of her thigh - or as much as he could despite the furs - and he inhaled her sweet scent. As soon as he did so, he felt the spark in her smell. Suddenly, it was a bit spicier and he noticed the rise of her arousal. _One mere touch of him and she was aroused_. It almost sprung his cock to life. She could not pull away, she could not tell him this was nothing. He needed her like he needed air.

And she had to need him back.

The only reason he allowed his thoughts to wander as much as they had was because she stopped turning him down. She also reacted every time he touched her.

She never told him not to believe this could be a possibility and now he was afraid she might take that dream away from him.

He felt movement and that snapped him out of his thoughts. He felt the tremble of her body and the shake of her hand. What was she trying to do? His question was rapidly answered when she lowered her palm against his head. _She was touching him_. She initiated the contact! He tried not to get too excited as she gently tangled her fingers with his long locks. Despite the excitement running through his blood, it was soothing. As her fingers massaged his scalp, he found himself relaxing, and enjoying her touch. He closed his eyes and remained as still as possible while she explored.

This was better than any dream he could have imagined.

Kagome was trying to keep her breathing under control while her heart was pressing against her rib cage. This was how she comforted someone; the only way she knew how. Her mother used to do it to her when she was a child. Kouga might show himself as a strong unbreakable man, but she knew there was something else deep under. Although why did she touch him? He was already breaking all the barriers of her bubble and she let him. _It was because she was comforting him_. It was comfort, nothing else.

But then, why did that feel like a lie?

-E-


End file.
